Protecting The Petrovas
by CommanderHeartthrob
Summary: Aleksandria Mikaelson: Protector of the Petrova doppelgänger, eldest daughter of Mikael and Esther Mikaelson, Viking warrior, and the first witch-vampire hybrid. Lover of Tatia and Katerina Petrova, keeper of the moonstone, the missing link. (CROSSPOSTED ON AO3 AND WATTPAD)
1. preface

Déjà Vu

Mystic Falls, the center of the supernatural hub of Virginia. There were the witches, the werewolves, the vampires and the wide array of hybrids. One in particular was none other than Alexandria Mikaelson, the original witch-vampire hybrid, blending in with the modern day teenagers to protect the Petrova doppelgänger from her brothers, just as she had done every 500 years since her mother, Esther, had turned her and her siblings into the monsters that they were today.

She had been a part of every clique you could imagine; The Vikings, The Travelers, the Gemini Coven, the Bennett Coven, The Founders, and, of course, The Originals. Somewhere down the line, she changed her name and spent centuries fleeing from her older brothers, Niklaus and Elijah, who were on the hunt for the Petrova doppelgängers. As the most powerful witch in what was left of her family, she stayed hidden, keeping her powers away from her family in order to keep her half-brother Klaus from breaking his werewolf-vampire hybrid curse.

Throughout this time, she found love.

She found it in the second and third Petrova doppelgängers, Tatia and Katherine.

In Lexi Branson, a friend of Stefan's whom she had met in 1864, soon after Katherine had been imprisoned in the tomb under Fell's Church.

In Elena Gilbert, as a friend whom Alex wouldn't dare to let die.

In Jenna Sommers, before Katherine returned to Mystic Falls and threw her through a loop.

In Hayley Marshall, after Katherine took the cure and died of old age.

In herself, centuries after she fought to stay alive and wanted nothing more to be a pile of ash.

Aleksandria Mikaelson rebuilt her family from the ground up after being outcast by her own flesh and blood. She became, and still is to this day, Alex Michaels. This is her story.


	2. epigraph

Epigraph

"For you see, the face of destiny or luck or god that gives us war also gives us other kinds of pain:

the loss of health and youth;

the loss of loved ones or of love;

the fear that we will end our days alone.

Some people suffer in peace the way others suffer in war.

The special gift of that suffering, I have learned, is how to be strong while we are weak, how to be brave when we are afraid, how to be wise in the midst of confusion, and how to let go of that which we can no longer hold.

In this way, anger can teach us forgiveness, hate can teach us love, and war can teach us peace."

_Le Ly Hayslip (2012). "When Heaven & Earth Change Places", p. 16, Doubleday_


	3. i

i.

Aleksandria Mikaelson stood with her back against Elena Gilbert's locker, her short blonde hair resting against the slots in the metal as she picked at her nails. She should have been doing something much more productive with her time, having been alive for thousands of years, but instead she continued to repeat high school and college, compelling her way out of tuition fees and collecting degrees that accumulated dust on her shelves. She would never understand a human's desire for a piece of paper to decide their worth, especially due to the fact that whether or not you were a powerful enough witch decided your hierarchy when she was young. She shook the thought from her head, reminding herself that that had been a few thousand years ago and that she had to change with the times or become an outcast once again.

She picked at her leather jacket, tugging at a loose string in the inside hem, reminding herself to trim it with scissors at a later date. It didn't take her long to track down the Gilbert girl's footsteps, noting that she was mid conversation with none other than Bonnie Bennett.

"Major lack of male real estate," She heard Bonnie state, around the corner. "Look at the shower curtain on Kelly Beach. She looks a hot— can I still say _tranny mess_?" Elena laughed, catching Alex's scrunched up face as they rounded the corner.

"No, Bon," Alex chirped up, startling the Bennett girl. "I think that fad's been out for quite a while by now." Her accent dripped from her lips as she spoke. Many thought it was enchanting, others swore it was fake and used solely for attention.

"Ahh, find a man, coin a phrase. It's a busy year." Alex kicked off of the lockers while Bonnie spoke. She glanced over at Elena, noticing that the brunette had basically crawled back into herself after her parents had died. She took the time to use her telepathy to her advantage.

_Smile, it'll be believable._

"_I'm fine, thank you."_

"_Yes, I feel much better."_

_I'm no longer the sad little girl who lost her parents._

_I will be someone new._

_It's the only way I'll make it through._

"I'm not going to ask, love," Alex said, sighing as she looked from Elena to Matt Donovan. She had trusted him to keep her safe, but it seemed as if he couldn't even do that right. If they hadn't fought at the party that night, Elena's parents would still be alive. She'd still be the happy-go-lucky girl that had made the Mikaelson fall for her a few years ago, but every Petrova cycle came with pain and devastation; Alex knew that better than anyone else.

"Thanks, Al," Elena said, a small smile on her face. She couldn't help but turn and see what both Bonnie and Alex were staring at. Matt stood with his locker wide open, a crowd of girls standing behind him as he stared at Elena with his headphones in. She waved briefly and he quickly looked away, pulling his books out of his locker and slamming the metal door shut. "He hates me," Elena sighed, leaning up against the lockers and looking between Bonnie and Alex.

"That's not hate. That's _you dumped me, but I'm too cool to show it, but secretly I'm listening to Air Supply's greatest hits._" Bonnie said reassuringly as she closed her locker.

_It was definitely Air Supply, and he should definitely turn his music down before he loses his hearing,_ Alex thought, chuckling to herself.

"Elena! Oh, my god," A high pitched voice snapped Alex from her thoughts. Caroline Forbes, Mystic High's it-girl ditzy blonde. She pushed Alex out of the way to wrap Elena in a tight hug.

"Good to see you too, Care-bear," Alex chuckled as she rolled her eyes, earning a laugh out of Bonnie.

"How are you?" Caroline asked the brunette. Elena awkwardly patted Caroline's shoulder, looking over to Alex for help. "Oh, it's so good to see you," The blonde said, stepping away from Elena and nodding. She quickly turned to her right and looked between Bonnie and Alex frantically. "How is she? Is she good?"

"Caroline, I'm right here. And I'm fine," Elena responded, grabbing the blonde's attention. Alex could tell the girl was forcing her words. "Thank you."

"Really?" Caroline asked, condescendingly. Alex elbowed the girl, earning an eyebrow raise and a head tilt.

"Yes. Much better," Elena responded, faking it as well as she could.

"Oh, you poor thing," Caroline pulled Elena in for another hug as Bonnie and Alex glared at each other.

_This is going to be a long day,_ Alex thought. She could have sworn she heard Bonnie respond _You're telling me_ but she shook it off.

"Okay, Caroline," Elena said, straining her voice from the hug.

"Okay," Caroline started, stepping back and looking at the three girls before her. "See you guys later?"

"Of course," Alex responded, forcing a smile.

"Okay! Bye." Elena said quickly as she watched Caroline walk off. She waved at the blonde before turning back to the two girls standing before her. "No comment," She said, beginning to walk away from the lockers. "I'm not going to say anything." They walk down the hall, looking confused when Alex stopped at her locker and tossed it open.

"Is _Miss Michaels_ going to use a High School locker for the first time in _two_ years?" Elena asked, faking a shocked tone.

"No way, that's just where she keeps all of her broody memoirs of her travels abroad," Bonnie piped up.

"Ha, ha," Alex responded, a dry tone to her voice. "You two seem to forget that I can take you both down with my eyes closed," The blonde laughed, turning to her friends as she pulled a single spiral notebook and a pen from her locker.

"Is that a challenge?" Elena asked, smirking. Alex rolled her eyes as she closed her locker door.

"Only for you, love," The girl responded, winking.

"Will you two ever stop _friend-flirting?"_ Bonnie asked, placing a hand on her hip.

"No, I don't think we will," Elena laughed, grabbing both of her friend's arms and pulling them down the hall with her. The group was about to pass the main office when Bonnie drew them to a complete stop.

"Hold up. Who's this?" The Bennett girl asked, peering at the taller boy standing at the front desk facing away from the girls. Something about him seemed all too familiar to Alex, but she tried to shake it off.

"All I see is back," Elena responded, confused.

"It's a hot back," Bonnie laughed. Alex couldn't help but listen in on the two in the office.

"Your records are incomplete," The secretary stated, looking down at the papers before her. "You're missing immunization records, and we do insist on transcripts." Alex watched the boy remove his glasses, resting his hand by his side before he spoke.

"Please look again," He said, not breaking eye contact with the employee in front of him. "I'm sure everything you need is there."

_I know that voice,_ Alex thought to herself, leaning against the doorframe. _It can't be, he doesn't know about the fourth doppelgänger._

"Well, you're right," The secretary stated, looking back at the papers before her. "So it is."

"I'm sensing Seattle, and he plays the guitar," Bonnie joked, breaking Alex out of her concentration. Elena scoffed, looking at Bonnie.

"You're really going to run this whole psychic thing into the ground, huh?" Elena asked, causing Alex to look at the girls.

_Did Sheila Bennett finally tell Bonnie about her ancestry?_ Alex thought to herself, taken aback.

"Pretty much," Bonnie responded. Alex couldn't tell if she was responding to her or Elena so she shook it off. Elena laughed, causing Bonnie to smile. Alex's head popped up and locked eyes with the youngest Gilbert as someone called his name down the hall.

"Baby brother, three o'clock," Alex said, nodding in Jeremy's direction. Elena's face fell, her cheerful features now filled with frustration.

"I'll be right back," The brunette said before quickly stomping in the direction of the men's bathroom.

"We'll be here, love," Alex called out, turning back in the direction of the mystery boy in the office.

"Please be hot," Bonnie whispered, all of her focus on the boy in front of them.

"Thank you," The mystery boy stated before quickly turning in the direction of Bonnie and Alex.

"No," The blonde mumbled, standing up straight. The mystery boy stopped in his tracks as soon as his green eyes met Alex's blue ones. Her nostrils flared as she looked the boy up and down, crossing her arms over her chest. Bonnie took in the interaction and stepped aside.

"You two know each other, don't you?" Bonnie asked, a large grin on her face.

"Stefan," Alex said, bluntly.

"Alexandria," Stefan responded, looking down at his feet. "I didn't know you went to school here."

"It's just Alex," She answered, looking down at her feet as she stepped away from the door frame, frustrated. "We'll talk later, I have a class to get to." She quickly grabbed Bonnie's arm and took off down the hall, praying Elena would leave the bathroom before Stefan could see her. Before the girls could even get half way down the hall, Stefan was already bumping into Elena outside of the bathroom door.

"What was that all about?" Bonnie asked, confused, with a grin on her face. "Some unspoken sexual tension between you too?" She nudged Alex with her elbow as she spoke.

"God, no," Alex responded. "Just some _very_ old history." Alex scoffed at the idea of ever being with Stefan. "Besides, he's not my type."

"Uh-huh. Sure," Bonnie laughed, poking fun at the girl.

"Believe what you want, Bonbon. My type is on the very _opposite_ side of the spectrum." Alex replied, smirking at the young witch with a raised eyebrow. She looked over at Stefan and Elena, dancing back and forth while trying to pass each other, rolling her eyes as he watched the brunette walk away. "He has not changed one bit," The blonde scoffed, realizing that the younger Salvatore brother had truly come back to Mystic Falls for the Petrova doppelgänger.


	4. ii

ii.

Aleksandria sat in the far back corner of the History class she shared with Bonnie, Elena, Matt and Stefan. She wished the first day of school would progress faster, but it seemed to continue to drone on for an eternity.

"Once our home state of Virginia joined Confederacy in 1861, it created a tremendous amount of tension within the state." Alex played with her pen as the history teacher taught directly from the textbook hidden in his desk. She glanced over to see Bonnie staring out the window, Matt staring at Elena, and Elena sneaking glances at Stefan.

"People in Virginia's northwest region had different ideals than those from the traditional deep south. Then, Virginia divided in 1863 with the northwest region joining the Union, renaming itself _West Virginia_." The teacher continued to drone on, and Alex began to block out his words, not feeling the need to listen to the same history that she had already lived through and lost good friends during. She made a mental note of Bonnie texting Elena, probably about Matt or Stefan, and leaned back in her seat. The last class of their first day back in school after summer break and the teacher actually wants to start a lesson instead of playing mind numbing _get to know you_ games. She made a second mental note that she needed to feed soon, as the teacher had become deafened by the sound of the heartbeats of her classmates.

_Five more minutes, that's all we have left. I can hold out until then,_ Alex thought, watching the clock. Although, it seemed she had said the same thing the last twelve times she had looked up at the clock.

"Miss Michaels," The teacher called out, snapping Alex back into reality. "Is the history of our home state boring you?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"No, sir," Alex responded, redirecting her attention from the clock above the door to the heads of every student in the room looking at her, confused.

"I expect your full attention when—" His sentence was quickly cut off by the bell, signaling the end of the school day. "We'll pick this lesson back up tomorrow. Remember everyone, your homework is to read pages one hundred through one hundred and forty-eight and to answer the questions at the end of the chapter. We will be going over the sections answers at the beginning of the next class, so please come prepared!" Alex took this time to quickly sneak out of the classroom, not needing another lecture about paying attention in class from a teacher she undoubtedly had more degrees than.

Before she knew it, her feet were taking her out of the school and in the direction of Mystic Falls Cemetery. She sighed, looking around at the headstones of the many friends she had made throughout her life, knowing that there were so many more who weren't granted the right to a proper burial thanks to being burned at the stake. She had personally purchased a plot for one of these friends, Emily Bennett.

Alex stood in front of the headstone with Emily's name carved into it, placing her hand on the cold granite before kneeling down and moving her hand onto the grass below her feet, a soft smile on her face.

"You'd be proud of what your lineage has become, Em," Alex said, patting the ground below her. "Bonnie's a bright girl. It seems she's already figured out how to use some of her powers." She laughed to herself, shaking her head. "She may be just as powerful as you one day, love." Alex stood up before making her way through the headstones once more, coming up upon Grayson and Miranda Gilbert's grave. It was a strange habit she had formed, going to see Elena's parents weekly to update them on how their children were doing. She kneeled down in front of their headstone, placing her hand on it like she had before with Emily's.

"Where do I even start?" She laughed to herself. "Jenna's trying her hardest to take care of Elena and Jeremy but I don't think she even knows how to take care of a plant let alone two teenagers," Alex chuckled to herself, shaking her head.

"And don't even get me started on Jeremy," Alex rolled her eyes, scoffing. "I swear, if that boy's head wasn't attached to his shoulders he would forget where he put it." She sighed, looking down at her feet. "I've truly tried keeping him out of trouble, but there are only so many hours in the day that I can watch him." She took her hand off of the headstone in front of her and began playing with her thumbs.

"And Elena," She started, nodding quickly. "She's trying, really hard, to be whole again. I've kept my promise, Grayson; I will protect her until my last breath, no matter the cost. I just wish there was more I could have done. If I had gone after your car faster you would all be here, and I wouldn't be walking through the cemetery on a weekly basis to tell you about our lives." Alex held in a shaky breath, trying to hold in her tears. "You should be having dinner with your kids right now, and I feel like it's all my fault that you're not here." She shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut for a brief moment.

The sound of a twig breaking nearby immediately earned her attention, causing Alex to jump up to her feet, spinning around to face the direction of the sound. She looked up to see her Mourning Doves perched on the tree branch above her and sent one out to scope the area in order to find out who she should be prepared for.

"Shit," Alex mumbled, collecting herself in preparation to dash away. "Of course it's Elena, it's Monday." Before the Gilbert girl could see her or her animal companion, Alex took off using her vampire speed and quick footing to reach the river bend. She stopped when she was a safe distance away, leaning against a tree as she looked down at her feet.

"You wanted to talk?" A voice called out from behind her, causing her to jump slightly.

"Hasn't anyone told you not to sneak up on an Original?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow as she turned to meet eyes with Stefan.

"One of the two people who told me is standing in front of me, the other is locked in a tomb under Fell's Church," Stefan said, crossing his arms over his chest. Alex rolled her eyes, leaning her shoulder against the tree beside her.

"Why are you here, Stefan? Why are you back in Mystic Falls, after all this time?" Alex asked, furrowing her brows. "She's not Katherine." Stefan let out a chuckle, shaking his head as he stepped closer to the blonde in front of him.

"I could ask you the same thing, Alexandria," Stefan replied, a grin on his face knowing that the comment about Katherine was more directed at Alex than himself. "I just had to see her, to make sure."

"First of all," Alex spat, stepping forward with a finger pointed in Stefan's face. "You know my duties are to protect the doppelgänger at all costs. I can't let my brother take an innocent life to break his own convoluted curse." She sighed and shook her head, putting her hand down at her side before she worked herself up too much to the point where her veins popped on her face. "Second of all, how did you even know she was here?" She ran a hand through her short hair briefly before searching his eyes for the answer.

"I had heard whispers. I thought they were all just fairytales, but I needed to see for myself," Stefan said, finally telling Alex what she needed to hear.

"Fine," She sighed, looking up into the tree's branches above her. "Just don't get in my way," She warned. And with that, she took off.


	5. iii

iii.

Alex stood in the woods near the falls next to a makeshift fire pit with the rest of the Mystic Falls High student body, enjoying the back to school event that the students participated in every year. She leaned an elbow on Elena's shoulder, smirking as she took a sip of her beer and took in her surroundings. It was nights like this that she realized how peaceful the town she called home her entire life had truly become. Bonnie joked with Elena about Stefan, poking fun at the crush she had on the Salvatore boy.

"Just admit it, Elena," Bonnie said, grinning from ear to ear as she poked the Gilbert girl in the chest with her pointer finger.

"Oh, okay," Elena gave in, rolling her eyes before looking at the two friends in front of her. "So he's a little pretty."

"He has that romance novel stare," Bonnie said, prodding even deeper for Elena to just confess. "Stefan looked deep into her eyes, piercing her very soul," She continued, using a half-assed announcer voice. Elena laughed, glancing up at Alex who just smiled and shook her head.

"So, where is he?" Bonnie asked, swaying from side to side as she looked at Elena with her brow raised.

"I don't know," Elena responded, shrugging.

"Probably off brooding somewhere if he's anything like he used to be," Alex laughed, throwing her head back slightly. Elena laughed, shaking her head as Alex took another sip of her beer.

"You tell me, you're the psychic one," Elena pointed a finger at Bonnie, raising her own cup to her lips in a condescending tone.

"Right, I forgot," Bonnie responded sarcastically, tilting her head at the brunette. "Okay, so give me a sec. Grams says I have to concentrate." Bonnie closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. _So Sheila did finally tell the girl, good for her,_ Alex thought, nodding with a slight smirk appearing across her lips.

"Wait, you need a crystal ball," Elena said, raising her finger as if Bonnie could see it with her eyes closed before quickly snatching Alex's beer bottle from her hands. The Mikaelson rolled her eyes. _She's lucky I like her._ "Ta da!" Elena held the glass bottle between the three of them as Alex crossed her arms over her chest. Bonnie opened her eyes for a moment before placing her hand on the bottle between them while Alex stood and watched with baited breath. Within seconds, Bonnie's eyes flew open, causing concern to etch across Elena's features as Alex looked between the two girls completely confused. As Elena and Bonnie stared at each other, the Gilbert only grew more concerned. As quickly as her eyes opened, Bonnie yanked her hand away from the bottle between them.

"What?" Elena asked, looking from the beer bottle to the two girls in front of her.

"That was weird," Bonnie responded, her brows furrowed. "When I touched you, I saw a crow." Alex looked at the Bennett girl with a furrowed brow. _It has to just be a coincidence, birds come and go, _the blonde thought, shifting her weight anxiously.

"What?" Elena asked, more confused than shocked. She took a step forward, lowering the glass to her side.

"A crow," Bonnie repeated. "There was fog, a man." Alex's eyes grew wide, connecting the dots. "I'm drunk. It's the drinking. There's nothing psychic about it." Elena looked between her friends, her mouth agape.

"Woah, woah," Alex chimed in. She looked to Elena with soft eyes. "Can I?" She asked, pointing to the brunette. Elena looked at her with a shocked expression before nodding slowly, confused with the current interaction as a whole. Alex slowly reached towards Elena's shoulder before placing her fingers on the brunette's neck. While Bonnie needed a conduit, Alex's vampirism enhanced her magical powers. She closed her eyes, her fingers twitching against the doppelgänger's neck.

* * *

_Elena sat in the cemetery, leaning against a headstone as she wrote in her diary across from her parent's grave. A large crow landed on Grayson and Miranda's headstone as she looked down at the book in her hands, scribbling her thoughts in her journal. The bird peered at her, squawking. Elena looked up at the bird, resting her pen against the top of her journal. The bird squawked at her once more, causing her to put her pen down in her lap and look at it with her head tilted._

"_Okay," Elena said, frustrated. "Hi, Bird." She waved at the crow in front of her and it squawked again. "That's not creepy or anything," She said, furrowing her brow as she picked the pen up from her lap, looking back at her journal. She sighed as fog began to roll in near her feet. She looked at her surroundings, confused, before quickly standing up and collecting her things. The bird continued to squawk repeatedly, causing Elena to lean forward and attempt to shoo the bird away. The bird flew off, causing Elena to sigh and stand tall. "That's what I thought," She said, triumphantly. She turned around to find the bird perched on the headstone she was leaning against previously. It squawked at her once more when it noticed it had her attention. Elena stepped back, startled, before quickly leaning forward and grabbing her bag before taking off, leaving her journal and pen hidden in the fog._

_The crow flew off as the figure of a man appeared from behind a headstone not too far away._

* * *

Alex's eyes fluttered open and she quickly looked between the two girls in front of her. She slowly removed her hand from Elena's neck before speaking.

"El, did you leave your green journal behind when you visited your parents?" Alex asked, her brow furrowed. Elena opened and closed her mouth as she looked between the blonde and the Bennett girl in front of her. Alex quickly turned to Bonnie, her eyebrows raised. "Shit," Alex mumbled, running a hand across her face. "You're not drunk, Bon. You saw what you saw." She took a step back, looking between her two friends. "You two stay here, I'll be right back." Alex turned and jogged off, finding Stefan in a conversation with Caroline not too far away.

"Oh, come on," Caroline said, trying to drag the Salvatore into a different direction of the party.

"I hate to break it to you, Care, but I need to steal Stefan for a moment," Alex said, placing a hand on the Salvatore's shoulder. "Elena and Bonnie could use some company though." She pointed in the direction of her friends, shooing Caroline away. The shorter blonde huffed and rolled her eyes before spinning around and taking off in the direction of the makeshift fire pit.

"Thanks for saving me," Stefan joked, about to walk away. Alex rolled her eyes and tightened her grip on Stefan's shoulder.

"Not so fast, Hasselhoff," Alex said, making him face her. "We have a _family emergency_." Stefan looked at her, confused.

"What is that code for?" He shook his head, laughing.

"Damon's here. Not here specifically, but here in town somewhere," Alex spoke quickly, needing to get the information across to the brown-haired boy as fast as she possibly could. Stefan's face fell as he took in the information.

"How do you know?" He asked, looking down at his feet before looking back up at the Mikaelson in front of him.

"I thought it was weird, the sudden animal attack on the town line when neither of us live feed anymore. I've been the only vampire in Mystic Falls for _two years_, Stefan. I've kept all traces of my vampirism nonexistent. You feed on rabbits and deer, I feed on those gross excess blood bags from the hospital." Stefan stands in front of her, even more confused.

"I saw him, Stefan. I used my clairvoyance on Elena. When she was in the cemetery, visiting her parents, he was there. He used his environmental manipulation and animal communication to startle her." She waved her hands around as she talked, frantic. "We need to find him before he does something stupid like he always does. I _cannot_ have my cover blown, not while Niklaus is still trying to break his hybrid curse."

"You're right," Stefan said, nodding. He could get to know Elena better later. The last thing he needed was for the town to notice that it had vampire inhabitants… again. Alex's search for Damon was immediately cut short when Elena started calling after her brother.

"Shit," She mumbled, waving Stefan off. "I need to go help her." She eventually caught up with Elena, Jeremy only a few feet in front of them.

"Jeremy?" Elena called out, following her severely intoxicated brother. Alex shook her head, knowing that she needed to help keep him from spiraling down this destructive path.

"Jer, where are you going?" Alex called out, concerned. Elena looked at the blonde, relieved that she had some backup that she trusted.

"I don't want to hear it!" Jeremy called out, turning to face the girls that followed him. He walked backwards for a few paces, getting extremely close to a tree trunk that lay across the forest floor.

"Yeah, well, too bad!" Elena called out, getting closer to her brother. As Jeremy turned around, he tripped over the tree trunk and landed face first on none other than Vicki Donnovan.

"Vicki? No!" Jeremy whispered, shock taking over. Vicki laid in the dirt unconscious, blood covering her neck. Elena and Alex caught up, looking down at the scene before them. "Oh, my god, it's Vicki," Jeremy cried, turning towards Alex and Elena. The Gilbert girl ran her hand through her hair as Alex pulled her hand across her face, shaking her head.

"Oh, my god," Elena whispered, looking between Jeremy and Alex. Jeremy crawled towards Vicki, placing a hand against her cheek. Within seconds, Vicki shot up gasping for air. Alex quickly pushed Jeremy out of the way, picking the Donnovan girl up bridal style.

"We need to get her out of here, now," Alex said, nodding in the direction they came from. Jeremy hovered over Alex as Elena ran off for help.

"Somebody help!" Elena screamed at the top of her lungs as Alex carried the girl with ease. Jeremy looked at the girl covered in blood with concern showing on his features. As they exited the deeper part of the woods, Matt caught the glimpse of his sister completely limp in Alex's arms.

"Vicki?" He called out, panicking. "Vicki, what the hell?!" Matt ran up to the group as Alex placed his sister down on one of the picnic tables. "What happened?" He asked the blonde, looking between her and his sister frantically.

"Somebody needs to call an ambulance," She said, quickly attempting to address the girl's wounds. Tyler Lockwood ran up to the group which suddenly became overcrowded with intoxicated teenagers trying to see what was going on.

"Everybody back up, give them some space!" Tyler called out, swinging his outstretched arms around.

"There's a wound, on her neck. She's losing a lot of blood," Alex said, quickly ripping the fabric from her shirt to use as a bandage for pressure.

"Vicki, Vicki, come on, open your eyes, look at me," Matt stood above his sister, trying to get her to gain consciousness.


	6. iv

iv.

"Why has nobody called 9-1-1?" Alex yelled, looking up from the table to the people that surrounded them. She locked eyes with Stefan as he slowly backed away, leaving the area immediately. She furrowed her brow before looking back down at the point of pressure, making sure she could muster up any attempt at stopping the bleeding. When the ambulance finally arrived, Alex helped Matt get Vicki into the back of the vehicle before returning to Elena's side, Bonnie quickly joining them.

"Hey," The Bennett girl started, looking from the two girls back to the ambulance. "We're gonna go mainline coffee, wait for news." Alex looked at Elena, concerned, as she glanced over in the direction of the brunette's brother.

"I gotta take Jeremy home," Elena replied, placing a hand on Alex's jacket as if asking for her help taking care of her brother.

"I'd be more than happy to help, El. I need to clean up anyway," The blonde responded, waving her blood covered hands in front of her face. She was happy she had double fed that morning, it kept her calm in an emergency and she needed it. "I have the feeling that this is just the beginning," She shook her head, mentally kicking herself for not realizing that the older Salvatore brother was in town sooner than she had. Wherever Stefan went, Damon was sure to follow.

"I hate to say this, but I agree," Bonnie sighed and looked between the girls before taking a step back and catching up with Caroline. As quickly as Bonnie left, Elena and Alex headed towards Jeremy. The Gilbert girl waved the blonde ahead as she picked up her cellphone to call her aunt.

"How you hanging in there, kid?" Alex asked, attempting to place a hand on Jeremy's shoulder. He immediately shrugged her away as he took another sip of his beer. "Oh, right, the hands. Sorry," She pulled her bloodstained hands away from the younger boy and tucked them behind her back, not wanting to upset him even more.

"You okay?" Elena asked him as she came up behind her brother and her friend. He looked away from Elena with tear filled eyes, glancing back at her after watching the EMTs surrounding the ambulance. "I called Jenna, she's on her way." Elena sighed as Jeremy rolled his eyes.

"You know, those people in uniforms, last time I checked, they're the police," Alex said, trying to get Jeremy to put his drink down. The last thing she needed was Grayson's son getting arrested for underage drinking. Jeremy immediately tilted his head back, downing the rest of his beer. Elena's face fell as she looked between Alex and her brother. Jeremy tossed the glass bottle behind him as he finished it, looking down at his feet afterward.

"People are going to stop giving you breaks, Jer," Elena told him, concerned for her younger brother. "They just don't care anymore. They don't remember that our parents are dead, because they've got their own lives to deal with." Elena placed a hand on Alex's shoulder, looking down at her feet as she talked. "The rest of the world has moved on. You should try, too." Jeremy shook his head, frustrated.

"I've seen you in the cemetery writing in your diary," Jeremy said, anger in his voice. "Is that—is that supposed to be you moving on?" Elena sighed, looking at the ground in front of her.

"Jeremy, I know the pain of losing someone you love," Alex said, speaking at a low volume. "It feels like your heart is ripped out and you're left staring at what it once was, wondering if something would have changed if you had done something differently." She closed her eyes, her thoughts immediately drifting to Tatia and what had happened to her.

* * *

_Alex removed her armor on the shore of Mystic Falls, having just returned from a month long journey at sea. A month without her family and friends was far too long for her. She huffed as she tossed the heavy clothing onto the sandbar at her feet._

_"Traveling too far for trade and pillaging is not in my interests," She said to herself, sighing._ _Alex wasn't sure of the welcome she would get from the rest of her family. She knew what to expect from Tatia and Rebekah, but not from her parents or her brothers. One would think that the only Viking left in the Mikaelson family would gain more of a welcoming committee, but her family was starting to follow the new world's faiths, out casting her for doing a man's job and for taking in a wife like her family had done before her. She neared the village, her gear in hand, a familiar figure waiting for her by the fire._ _As Alex neared the top of the hill she noticed Tatia running towards her, grinning from ear to ear. She quickly dropped her belongings and lifted up the smaller girl by the waist, spinning her around._

_"Welcome home, Aleksandria," Tatia said, laughing._

_"It would never be a true welcome without you, Tati," Alex placed the Petrova girl back onto the ground before placing a kiss on her lips, reminding herself to take pleasure in the small moment. She spoke quietly as she slowly pulled away from the brunette,_ _"I missed you." Tatia smiled at the blonde, placing her hand on the back of the girl's head and playing with the intricate braids that cascaded down the Viking's back._

_"And I you, dear," Tatia smiled, pulling the Viking in for another kiss before being interrupted by small hands tugging at the hem of her dress. The girl looked down at her son before picking up the young boy and placing him on her hip._

_"Hello, Bjørn," Alex said softly, waving at the small boy who still did not speak. He quickly waved back before hiding in his mother's braids. "My how you've grown while I've been gone. Soon you'll be big enough to protect your mother from the dangers hidden in this new world." Alex looked back at Tatia, smiling, before hearing a familiar voice behind her._

_"As if she'll need protecting with Niklaus and Elijah constantly fighting for your wife's hand," Rebekah chirped, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched the couple interact._

_"You tell those thieving brothers of mine that if they want my wife they have to go through me first." Alex grinned, turning to face her younger sister while standing taller, squaring her shoulders. "What a world it would be with two less Mikaelson's to cause havoc and destruction wherever they may go," Alex said, laughing, before placing a hand on her sisters shoulders. "Now go, it's time to celebrate. We won't be far behind." Rebekah may have only been a year and a half younger than Alex, but the twenty-two year old knew her younger sister only had the best notions at heart. Warning Alex about Niklaus and Elijah was the best thing that the young blonde could do after her sister had been away at sea for just over a month. Alex wrapped her arm around Tatia's waist, standing on the opposite side of her stepson. The brunette rested her head on the Viking's shoulder, embracing her presence that she had missed so dearly. _

_"I wish they would choose a different fleet to go out on the ships, I hate only seeing you for one week a month before you're gone again." Tatia said, nuzzling into Alex's shoulder._

_"They should soon, love," Alex responded, caressing Tatia's arm as they slowly approached the Mikaelson's. Klaus and Elijah were still battling each other over Tatia in the background, arguing over semantics and who saw her first. In reality, it was Alex who had known her longest and had fallen for her first. Her brothers couldn't stand seeing their younger sister happier than they could be. Alex believed they thought she wouldn't have returned from her first battle with her only having been sixteen years old and, yet, here she was six years later._

_Klaus made a sloppy swing toward Elijah when his eyes landed on his sister entering the village with her arm wrapped around Tatia, the two looking like the perfect pair. He swallowed roughly, anger boiling under his skin. Tatia was supposed to be his, but it seemed, just like everything else in his life, the man wasn't enough. He had the notion that would change, it all would once Klaus was able to have the Petrova girl; he just had to get Elijah to step down before taking on his sister. "She's back," He spoke toward Elijah._

_Elijah lowered his sword, following his brothers eyes, "It would seem so. Though she won't be here long."_

"_No," Niklaus wiped the sweat from his brow._

_As Alex approached, she could hear Elijah's comments about her soon departure. She placed a quick kiss against Tatia's temple before taking off in the direction of her siblings. "I wouldn't be too quick to speak that way, Elijah," Alex scoffed, her grip on the hilt of her sword tightening. "Why don't you keep my dear wife company, Becks," Alex said, returning her attention to her two brothers before her._

_"Of course, Alex," Rebekah said quickly. She knew exactly how this encounter would go and needed to distract Tatia and Bjørn in the case that Niklaus and Elijah did not stand down._

"_Welcome home, Aleksandria." Elijah greeted with forced politeness, though the facade could only be seen by those who knew him. _

"_Sister," Niklaus greeted._

"_We don't want to fight you, Aleksandria. Don't be ridiculous. We just wish you would come to your senses. Tatia would be better off with one of us. Times are changing, and the old ways won't do. Besides, we actually love her." Alex tilted her head at Elijah's remarks. _

_"Are you saying I don't love my wife?" Alex took a threatening step forward, her war paint completely visible in the light of the fire. "I don't want to hear about our lack of a ceremony, either, Niklaus," She pointed at her brother, a shit eating grin on her face. "If you would have gotten on that boat like you were supposed to, we would have had our traditional ceremony. Instead, I was shipped off for eight months to fight for my life with a son and wife waiting for me here." She scoffed at the idea that they could give Tatia anything that she hadn't already. As Alex stepped forward, Elijah stepped back but his shoulders were squared and his hand that held the sword was eerily steady._

"_Not as we would," He commented. "Tatia deserves more than a Valkyrie, her son deserves more. Someone here, to guide and raise him to embrace this world rather than what once was."_

"_I'm sorry you weren't able to have the traditional ceremony. Against your belief, that wasn't my intention. Father is the one who stopped me from getting on that boat. He didn't want me to make a fool of him. If anyone is to blame it should be Elijah or Finn. They are older than us both so the responsibility should have fallen on their shoulders. However, I won't deny that—with you being gone—Tatia does deserve proper attention." Niklaus took a small step back as he spoke, not wanting to be at the sharp end of his sister's sword._

_"Proper attention," Alex scoffed. She knew she needed to be around more for her wife, they both missed each other dearly, but she knew Tatia would never stray. She hadn't once showed interest until her husband was killed in battle, Alex having brought her his braid and his sigil. "Maybe if you were shown proper attention growing up you wouldn't have become the coward you are today, Brother."_

_She continued to stalk towards them, watching Elijah grip his sword in fear. "As for you, Elijah," She tilted her head at her second eldest brother as she spoke. "No one is more capable of protecting their own than a Valkyrie." Alex practically snarled at her brother for using her class in a negative connotation. "And let us not forget who the most powerful witch is in our family." She let out a laugh, prepared to unsheathe her sword at any moment. It was her cunning and quick reflexes along with her strength that kept her alive to this day._

_"If you two are so adamant that you can protect my wife and teach my son better than I can then why don't you man up and show me." Tatia watched the encounter from her seat with Rebekah, smirking._

* * *

"Loss made me angry and violent. My own family couldn't stand to be around me and I hated the world for taking the person I loved more than anything away from me. The best thing to do is to put on a brave face, tell everyone you're _much better now_ and mourn in private. I know, it sounds like the shittiest situation there could be, and I sound like a complete twat, but it's the truth." Elena smirked at Alex as she talked, knowing that she was partially telling Jeremy what she had been doing in order to feel normal again.

"Mom and dad wouldn't have wanted this," Elena said, looking back down at her feet and swallowing hard.

"I don't need a pep talk from my sister and her _girlfriend_," Jeremy sighed, leaning on the wooden support beam in front of him. Alex rolled her eyes.

"Not her girlfriend, Gilbert," She mumbled as Elena placed her hand on her temple thanking god that Jenna had pulled up to pick the three of them up in that moment. When they climbed into the back of the car, Alex wrapped an arm around Jeremy's shoulders as she placed her other hand on Elena's thigh.

"I know it's cliché, and it may sound insensitive, but it'll get better with time if you let it." She rubbed Jeremy's shoulder, resting her head against his. She knew she really shouldn't, but she saw him as a brother, even more so than her own brothers. She promised Elena's parents that she would watch over them when Jenna couldn't, and she would never break a promise as sacred as that.


	7. v

v.

Alex sat up from the couch in the Gilbert living room, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Jenna watched from the kitchen as she prepared the blonde a cup of coffee.

"It wasn't too rough on the couch last night, was it?" The redhead asked, bringing the cup of black coffee to the living room before reaching over the back of the couch to hand the mug over to Alex.

"No more than the usual, Jenna," The blonde replied with a smirk as she gently took the mug from the other girl's hand, brushing their fingers against each other as she pulled the mug away to place it against her lips. "What's on your mind?" She asked, crossing her legs underneath her. "You seem stressed." Jenna sighed, shaking her head, as she looked down at her bare feet.

"I have a Parent-Teacher conference with Mr. Tanner today. He wants to talk about Jeremy," She shook her head as Alex looked up at her with her brows raised, taking another sip of her coffee.

"Well, I'll warn you now, Tanner is a bit of a dick," Alex tilted her head as she spoke, looking up at the redhead. "Actually, scratch that. He's a massive dick. He's going to say something to make you feel like you aren't doing nearly enough as a guardian to Elena and Jeremy." She reached over to the coffee table and put her mug down before bringing her attention back to Jenna. "And I'm not saying that as if it's true. Raising two teenagers is difficult, but you're doing an absolutely amazing job. He's going to be asking trick questions and you need to be more than prepared." Alex rested her chin in her hands as she talked, smiling up at the other girl.

"Well, I appreciate the pep talk either way," Jenna smirked at the blonde as Elena entered the room, seeing her aunt and her best friend staring at each other.

"Ugh, could you two maybe wait to start the flirt fest until after I've left the house?" Elena asked, dropping her bag onto the floor and smiling as she rolled her eyes. Jenna turned to Elena, a gleam in her eyes for a moment. The brunette was already completely ready for the day ahead of her, an extra pep in her step that Alex couldn't entirely decipher.

"Oh! Elena!" She said, a slight hint of being startled by the brunette in her tone. "Hair up or down?"

"Sexy stewardess," Elena commented as Jenna held her hair up. Alex looked up at the redhead, unable to control her bottom lip that slipped in between her teeth. As Jenna dropped her hair down onto her shoulders, Elena spoke again. "Boozy housewife." Jenna scoffed, her eyes wide.

"Up it is," She nodded, raising her brows for a moment. Alex rolled her eyes, not understanding Elena's hostile tone of voice. Elena let out a chuckle, which told the blonde all she needed to know. "You're feisty today."

"If it's any consolation, you look beautiful either way, Jenna," Alex spoke with a smirk, tilting her head as she picked her coffee mug up off of the table. A quick pink blush washed over Jenna's face before she realized that Elena was still in the room. The brunette cleared her throat, earning the attention of both Alex and Jenna.

"I feel good, which is rare. So I've decided to go with it." Elena crossed her arms over her chest, leaning against the kitchen counter behind her, opting to ignore the blonde's blatant flirting with her mother's younger sister. Yes, Elena and Jenna were very close in age, but it just felt weird to her that her _best friend_ was flirting with her _legal guardian_. "Fly free, walk on sunshine, and all that stuff." Alex stood from her spot on the couch, letting her arm brush against Jenna's as she walked past her and headed towards the kitchen before placing her mug to Elena's side.

"Happy is a good look on you, love," Alex smiled, placing a hand on the brunette's cheek. Elena leaned into the blonde's touch, smiling as she closed her eyes before she nodded, realizing Alex's tactics.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, _Miss Michaels_," Elena opened her eyes, smirking, before slowly reaching up and pulling Alex's hand away from her face. "Where's Jeremy?" She asked, turning to Jenna with her brow slightly furrowed. Alex picked her coffee mug up off of the counter, bringing it up to her lips.

"He left early," Jenna leaned against the back of the couch, her back turned to the living room now that the blonde was no longer in there. "Something about getting to wood shop early to finish a birdhouse." Alex threw her head back in a groan; this boy was not making it easy for her to keep an eye on him in any way. Elena looked at the redhead with a furrowed brow, completely confused. She lifted one eyebrow, opening her mouth to speak, when Jenna spoke again, putting the clues together in her head. "There's no wood shop, is there?" She pursed her lips in frustration, understanding the groan that Alex had let out.

"No," The two girls across from her said in unison. Alex and Elena looked at each other in frustration.

"Yeah," Jenna nodded, looking down at her feet.

"This one's all you, love," Alex sighed, patting Elena's shoulder with her free hand as she took another sip of coffee. "I took care of last night's fiasco, but he's obviously not going to listen to a word I have to say." Elena sighed, nodding in response.

"You're right." She picked up her book bag off the floor, heading towards the door. "I'll meet you there," she called out, slamming the front door behind her.

"So," Jenna started, taking a few steps towards the blonde.

"Yes?" Alex asked, finishing her coffee before placing the empty cup on the counter behind her. Jenna stopped directly in front of the Original, less than a foot between the two of them. Alex could hear the redhead's quickened heartbeat, but it wasn't due to hunger.

"Care to help me pick out an outfit for this meeting?" Jenna asked, her head tilted slightly. Alex thought she caught a glint in the girl's eye but shook it off, not needing to add any assumptions to their already complicated friendship.

"Of course,_ love_," The blonde felt a smirk creep up on her face, knowing that if she pushed up off of the counter she would close the distance between them.


	8. vi

Bonnie and Caroline walked through the halls after class, the it-girl bombarding the brunette with a wide array of questions as Alex followed closely behind. While the doorway didn't allow more than two people to pass through it at once, Alex truly didn't want to be roped into Caroline's questions about Vicki and what had happened.

"I'm confused, are you psychic or clairvoyant?" Caroline asked the Bennett girl, talking with her arm that had her oversized purse hanging on it.

"Technically, Grams says I'm a witch," Bonnie replied, smiling as she turned to look at Alex before quickly realizing that the blonde didn't really want anything to do with the conversation at hand. "My ancestors were these really cool Salem witch chicks or something." _Well, that's one way to put it,_ Alex thought, letting out a quiet laugh through her nose. "Grams tried to explain it all, but she was looped on the liquor so I kinda tuned out." Alex nodded as they walked, moving up to Bonnie's right side after they had gone through the doorframe, leaving room for the three girls to walk together. She zoned out of the conversation, only able to hear bits and pieces, as she tried to figure out which room Jenna and Mr. Tanner were having their meeting in. "Crazy family? Yes. Witches? I don't think so." Alex tried to hold in her laugh, not understanding why Bonnie couldn't believe her heritage.

"Yeah, well, feel free to conjure up the name and number of that guy from last night," Caroline replied, looking up at the ceiling. _Guy from last night?_ Alex thought, furrowing her brow. _Who else would have been getting coffee in the middle of the night?_

"I didn't see him, you did!" Bonnie smiled, shaking her head. "Why didn't you just talk to him?"

"I don't know. I was drunk." Bonnie laughed as Caroline rolled her eyes. As the two girls picked up the pace, Alex finally tracked down the sound of Jenna's voice and walked over to the classroom with the closed door and curtain pulled over the window. She leaned against the wall next to the door, sighing as she listened to the conversation inside.

"_**As Jeremy's teacher, I'm concerned. All right?"**_Mr. Tanner said sternly. Alex did not appreciate the tone of voice he was using with the redhead but decided to remain calm. She knew Jenna could handle herself and had witnessed it on more than one occasion. **"**_**It's the third day of school and he's skipped six of his classes."**_ Alex cursed under her breath, kicking herself for not keeping a better eye on the boy.

"_**Mr. Tanner,"**_ Alex could hear Jenna sigh, able to picture the redhead's facial features in that exact moment after having spent so much time with her. _**"Are you aware that Jeremy and Elena's parents died?" **_Alex gritted her teeth. _I told you he didn't give a shit, Jenna,_ she thought to herself, realizing that the redhead had taken nothing from their talk this morning into consideration.

"_**Four months ago, a great loss. Car accident. Wickery bridge, if I remember correctly."**_

_Yeah, and it's my fault they're not here with their family, but you don't give a shit about that either, Tanner.___

"_**And you're related to the family how? The, uh, mother's kid sister?" **_Alex knew how much Jenna hated being referred to as Miranda's _kid sister_. Yes, the girl was only 23, but she was more put together than any other adult that Alex had met in her lifetime.

"_**Younger sister."**_

"_**Right."**_

"_**Yes. Six classes? Are you sure?"**_ The skepticism in her voice made Alex roll her eyes. She knew Jenna tried to trust Jeremy as best as she could, but she wasn't naïve. _**"I mean, that's kind of hard to do."**_

"_**Not when you're on drugs. It's his attempt at coping, Ms. Sommers. And the signs are there. He's moody, withdrawn, argumentative, hungover."**_

_Have you never met any other teenagers, Mr. Tanner? You're practically describing the entire student body in one sentence.___

"_**Are there any other relatives in the picture?"**_

_It's only me and Jenna, and we'd like to keep it that way._

"_**I'm their sole guardian."**_Alex could hear Jenna's walls breaking around her, her pulse quickening with every breath she took. Tanner was doing exactly what the blonde thought he would; tearing Jenna down through her visible insecurities about the whole situation.

"_**Uh-huh. Could there be?"**_ Alex could hear Jenna swallow hard. All she wanted to do was bust down the locked door and knock some sense into the history teacher, but she knew that would be an absolutely terrible idea.

"_**What are you suggesting, exactly?"**_

"_**It's an impossible job, isn't it, raising two teens?"**_

"_**It's been tough,"**_ Jenna scoffed, and Alex could tell that she was biting her tongue in an attempt to be professional. _**"But, no, it's not."**_

"_**Wrong answer."**_

_Oh, fuck you, Tanner,_ Alex thought, gritting her teeth. She couldn't stand the way he talked to his students, and he was using the same tone to lecture someone she _genuinely _cared about. She could feel her blood boiling, hoping this meeting was finished quickly.

"_**It is an extremely impossible job, and anything less and you're not doing it properly."**_

_Just tell him the truth, Jenna. You're not taking care of them alone. Grayson asked for the help of __**one**__ other person, and we're both taking care of those teens. You're not in this alone, and it's taking some of the responsibility from your shoulders to make it easier for you.___

"_**I'm sorry, you're making it sound like this is something I'm doing alone. I'm not the only one taking care of those kids, but I am their only legal guardian. So, no, it's not an impossible task."**_ Alex could hear Jenna stand from the desk she was sitting in, grabbing her things. _**"This meeting is over."**_ Before she knew it, Jenna was opening the door next to Alex, causing the blonde to kick off the wall and look at her with her eyebrows raised.

"How did it go?" Alex asked, placing a hand on Jenna's shoulder as the redhead slammed the door shut.

"Well, you were right," Jenna responded, shaking her head. "Tanner is a _massive dick_."

"You want to talk about it over coffee?" Alex asked, tilting her head. "My treat." She watched the redhead's eyes light up, a large grin on her face.

"I think I'll take you up on that offer." Jenna crossed her arms over her chest to keep herself from allowing an arm to snake around Alex's waist with a hand gripping her hip. She felt eerily comfortable with the blonde, but what happened while they took care of Jeremy and Elena and what happened out in public were on the complete opposite spectrums. Yes, Alex was a few thousands of years old, but she was currently pretending to be an 18-year-old high school student, and it was frowned upon for those already out of college to be seeing a high schooler of _legal_ age. She let a smirk play across her lips, knowing that the redhead would become an open book as soon as they left the property.


	9. vii

Alex sat at the Mystic Grill with Bonnie, Elena and Caroline, talking about the incoming comet that hasn't been over Mystic Falls in 145 years. The last time the comet made its rotation, Emily Bennett had channeled its power to seal the tomb beneath Fell's church. Alex's thoughts drifted to those trapped in the tomb. Twenty-Seven vampires, among them being three of her closest companions in 1864; _Pearl, Bethanne, __**Katherine**__._

Her mind rested on Katerina Petrova, her sire from 1492, the noblewoman and socialite that she had grown to love, despite the girl's hostile nature. While it was true that all the spells cast by a witch would break once they had died, Alex was still _living_, and she and Emily had tied the spell to the comet. It broke the Mikaelson's heart to trap Katherine under the church, but she knew she would be protecting the Petrova girl from her brothers after they had sabotaged Niklaus' previous attempt at breaking his werewolf-hybrid curse. Bonnie's voice broke the blonde from her thoughts.

"Well, I was talking to Grams, and she said the comet is a sign of impending doom. The last time it passed over Mystic Falls, there was lots of death. So much blood and carnage, it created a bed of paranormal activity." Bonnie talked with her hands, mostly directing her conversation towards Alex who nodded in response, picking up her glass of water off the table in the outdoor dining area and taking a small sip.

"Yeah, and then you poured Grams another shot, and she told you about the aliens." Caroline looked down at the flyer she was folding, nodding as she spoke. Alex rolled her eyes at the Forbes girl in response, wishing Caroline would learn to be kinder to Bonnie about her grandmother. "So, then what?" Bonnie scoffed, looking down at her hands as Caroline directed her question towards Elena, who happened to be seated next to Alex.

"So, then nothing." Elena shrugged, looking up from her paper folding task to glare at Caroline.

"You and Stefan _talked_ all night? There was no sloppy first kiss or touchy feely of any kind?" Caroline leaned her elbow against the table, propping her face against her hand.

"Nope. We didn't go there." Elena began to fold flyers in frustration once more as Alex placed a hand against her back, trying to comfort the brunette. Between the death of her parents and her issues with Matt, dating was the last thing Elena had in mind at the moment.

"Not even a handshake?" Caroline raised her eyebrows at the brunette, dropping her hand from her face and letting it rest on the wooden outdoor table. "I mean, Elena, we are your friends. Ok? You are supposed to share the smut." She began talking with her hands in frustration as Elena glared at her, practically begging her to drop the subject.

"We just talked for hours." Elena looked down at her hands, shrugging her shoulders. Alex looked at the blonde with a glare as she gritted her teeth. The original removed her hand from the Gilbert girl's back, noticing the tension in the friend group, as she looked over to Bonnie with an eyebrow raised.

"Okay, what is with the blockage? Just jump his bones already!" Both Bonnie and Alex turned to look at Caroline with raised brows as she spoke, unable to believe that the words were coming out of the blonde's mouth. Elena sighed, shaking her head. "Okay, it's easy. Boy likes girl, girl likes boy, sex." Caroline wiggled her brows at the brunette across from her.

"Profound." Elena glared at Caroline, folding yet another flyer in her hands. She stopped for a moment, thinking. Alex was tempted to listen in but decided against it; Elena deserved her own privacy. Within seconds, Elena slammed the flyer down on the wooden table in front of her, quickly turning to grab her things from the back of her chair. Alex looked at the brunette with her head tilted, one brow raised and a slight smirk on her face.

"Where are you going?" Bonnie asked, laughing.

"Caroline's right. It is easy." Elena turned back to the table, nodding once. "If I sit here long enough, I'll end up talking myself out of it instead of doing what I started the day saying I was going to do." Caroline looked around the friend group, smirking proudly as Elena stood from her seat. The Gilbert girl shrugged before grabbing her things and taking off.

Alex looked at the time, realizing that she should be back at the Gilbert house already to help Jenna set up for dinner. "Shit, guys, I have to go, too." She gathered her things, giving Bonnie and Caroline an apologetic smile. "I promised Jenna I'd be her _moral support_ when she talks to Jeremy this afternoon." Caroline rolled her eyes as Alex walked off, turning to look at Bonnie.

"And then there were two," Bonnie sighed, sinking into her chair. Alex waited until she was a safe distance away to use her full speed, making sure no one could see her taking off. Within seconds, she was in front of the Gilbert house, quickly opening the front door and letting herself inside.

"I hope I'm not too unreasonably late," the blonde called out, closing the door behind her. She made her way through the house to see Jenna giving herself a pep talk in the kitchen. "I see the guest of honor has yet to make an appearance." She let out a laugh as she watched Jenna relax in front of her.

"I don't think I can do this," Jenna's shoulders slumped forward as she leaned against the kitchen counter. The Mikaelson walked around the kitchen island to stand behind Jenna, wrapping her arms around the redhead's waist.

"Don't speak so poorly of yourself, love," Alex spoke in a low volume, resting her chin on the other girl's shoulder. "You're capable of so much more than you give yourself credit for." Jenna smiled, shaking her head.

"What'd I ever do to deserve your kindness, Michaels?" Jenna asked, turning her head to look at Alex's face. Her eyes searched the girl's features, a smirk playing on her lips.

"Well, for one, you laugh at my stupid _Buffy_ jokes when, honestly, they probably deserve nothing more than an eye roll." Jenna chuckled at the blonde's comment, shaking her head as she looked away. "Other than that, I'm not too sure." Alex laughed, stepping away from the redhead but keeping a hand placed against the small of the girl's back.

"I don't think I'm made for this whole _raising children_ thing," Jenna sighed, looking at her hands. Alex moved her hand from Jenna's back to lightly grasp her chin, turning the girl's head gently to face her.

"Jenna, no one is built to raise two teenagers, alone, at the age of 23. Don't let what Tanner said get to you." She rubbed the pad of her thumb against the redhead's cheek softly, letting a smile grace her features. "Do not let the idea of this being an _impossible job_ make you feel any differently than you had before your meeting with Tanner. He's never had to _raise_ teenagers." She shook her head, looking down at her feet with a sigh as she dropped her hand to her waist.

"I know I don't talk about them very much, but I do have two younger sisters. Growing up, Rebekah had always resented me. I was able to have the life she had always wanted. I went off and paved my own roads, decided my own future, and she was trapped with our brothers and the youngest girl who acted exactly like I did. She pushed our younger sister, _Tori_, away because she reminded Rebekah all too much of myself." Alex let out a shaky breath before looking up to meet Jenna's eyes once more. "I think she would be a much different person today if she had someone like you in her life when we were younger." Jenna looked at Alex with a furrowed brow.

"How old are your sisters now?" The redhead asked, tilting her head. Alex swallowed hard, trying to figure out how to tell Jenna that her sisters _human _ages were 18 and 16 without also having to explain to her that she _was_ 22\. Before she could say anything, Jeremy entered the room. She let out a sigh of relief, slouching slightly as she adjusted her weight.

"Jenna picked up dinner," She said quickly, grabbing a random dish towel and throwing it over her shoulder.

"Don't you have your own house you could be spending all your time in?" He asked, glaring at the blonde. Alex rolled her eyes, flipping him off before leaning against the counter behind her.

"Tacos," Jenna added, sucking at her teeth. She was a little upset that her conversation with Alex had been cut short, but she wouldn't let it show too much. "I had an urge for guacamole."

"No, I'm good, thanks," Jeremy waved her off, tossing his jacket onto the dining room table.

"Eat anyway," Jenna sighed, pointing to the food in front of her that was surely getting cold.

"It's a ruse," Alex added with a smirk. "We want to talk." Jeremy rolled his eyes, moving towards the door that opened out into the back yard.

"Hey, you! Come," Jenna called out, raising her arm as she quickly became frustrated. When she grabbed his attention, she pointed to the seats on the other side of the kitchen island sternly. "Sit." She glared at him in frustration, a combination of Alex changing the subject and Jeremy being stubborn, as he took a seat. When Jeremy finally sat down, he rolled his eyes, letting out a sigh. Jenna looked back towards Alex for a moment, her eyebrows raised in question. The blonde nodded, taking a step forward and leaning against the counter of the kitchen island with Jenna.

"Back in school, Freshman year, I could eat my weight in nachos, with extra cheese." Jenna nudged Alex slightly as she spoke, a soft smile on her lips. She looked down at her hands for a moment. "It was my munchie food whenever I got stoned." She looked back up at Jeremy, a knowing smirk on her face. Alex shook her head at the confession, letting out a chuckle.

"You get high?" Jeremy asked, unable to believe his aunt.

"Did." Jenna looked up at the ceiling for a moment, scrunching her nose, before looking back at the Gilbert boy. "Past tense." Jeremy's smile fell from his face as he tilted his head, slightly confused. "But, yeah! Loved it."

"And I used to sneak _La Fee verte_, the green lady, while my mother and father were away." Alex smirked, neglecting to add that it was the bottle of absinthe specifically enchanted for their Nordic rituals. Jeremy looked at the blonde with wide eyes, slightly shocked.

"_You've_ done _absinthe_?" He asked, his voice jumping an octave unintentionally. Alex let out a light chuckle, shaking her head.

"Anything to get a little distraction from life," Alex shrugged as Jenna rummaged through the bag of food in front of her.

"Reality," The redhead added with a shrug. "And it worked." Jeremy smiled once again, delighted by the information he was receiving, "For a while."

"Never lasts, though," Alex added, smiling up at Jenna as she popped a tortilla chip into her mouth. Jenna turned and made her way towards the fridge, speaking again.

"Hey, I'm not saying I wouldn't love to rail back and kick it, but with a thesis looming and a waistline expanding…" Jeremy stood from the kitchen island as Jenna spoke, Alex watched him with a furrowed brow. She thought about grabbing Jeremy and compelling him to listen right then and there, but she knew her efforts would be futile. This is how he chose to cope with the loss of his parents, and now Vicki being attacked at the party the night before. As Jenna trailed off, she caught a glimpse of the Gilbert boy stomping out the door, jacket in hand.

"More food for us, I guess," Alex sighed, looking over at a defeated Jenna who just looked down at the floor, shaking her head as she held the fridge open slightly.


	10. viii

viii.

Alex walked up to the Salvatore home, stopping to examine the large brick structure before her. She studied the door, noting that the original doorbell was still intact. As she moved to knock, she noticed that the door was slightly open. Rolling her eyes, Alex nudged the door open the rest of the way, half expecting to see Zach Salvatore struggling to bring in some groceries. She let herself inside, looking around and taking note of the jet-black feather that rested on the parlor floor.

"I know you're here, _Soldier."_ Alex called out, shaking her head. "You're getting sloppy out there." She felt an all too familiar presence behind her, causing her muscles to tighten.

"I wouldn't call it sloppy, Mikaelson. It's a lost art form," Damon leaned against the railing for the stairs that led up to the second level of the estate.

"What is with you brothers and sneaking up on Originals? And live feeding, Damon? Really?" Alex scoffed, folding her arms over her chest. "I've seen your familiars hanging around, and the doppelgänger has seen you." She shook her head, sighing. "Again, you're getting sloppier by the second." She leaned down, picking up the crow's feather and twirling it between her fingers. "You left the Donovan girl alive." Her eyes flicked from the feather in her hands to Damon's face. "I thought I taught you better than that." Damon tsked, shaking his head.

"Well, blondie," He started, moving in Alex's direction. "I had to case the building before I came in, make sure no one else was around. I have a _particularly important_ mission to complete, and the girl was used a message for you and my rabbit eating brother to stay out of my way." He plucked the feather from Alex's grasp, looming over her. "It seems as if that didn't convey the way I intended for it to, though."

"Ah, yes," She laughed, looking up at him. "The comets impending return over Mystic Falls." She rolled her eyes, shifting her weight.

"You didn't think I'd forget, now, did you?" Damon asked, tilting his head with furrowed brows while a smug smirk graced his features.

"No, I just thought you'd give up on trying to free someone who couldn't have cared less about her _plaything_." Alex took a step forward, looking up at the older Salvatore brother with a snarl. As she narrowed her eyes at him, he tried taking a step backward, only to be met with the blonde's hand gripping his wrist.

* * *

_From a distance, Elena could be seen approaching the Salvatore home, ringing the doorbell twice. When no one answered, she moved to knock on the door but accidentally nudged it open. Curiosity got the better of her as she invited herself inside the large estate._

"_Stefan?" She called out, moving further into the foyer. As her figure disappeared into the home, she could be heard calling out the younger Salvatore sibling's name once again. Damon tried quietly entering through the large wooden door behind her, alerting Elena to his presence by the old creaking floorboards of the home. She slowly turned around, noticing that the front door, which she had left slightly cracked, was now wide open._

_Elena looked at the door before her with furrowed brows, knowing that this hadn't been the way she had left it, and that it was far too heavy to have moved on its own. Within moments, Damon— who was quietly standing behind her— flicked his two fingers on his right hand upwards, sending one of his crow familiars through the front door and past the doppelgänger. When Elena turned around, she bumped into Damon who looked at her with a smirk, tilting his head as he looked down at the girl with the all too familiar face._

_Elena took a step back, running a hand through her hair. "I-I'm sorry for barging in. The door was…" She turned around to see the door completely closed, confusion etched into her features. "Open." She turned back to the older Salvatore brother; her brow furrowed. Damon smirked, knowing that he had closed the door in the fraction of a second that Elena had been distracted by his animal familiar. He looked at her with a stern face, tilting his head._

"_You must be Elena," He said, pointing at her quickly. The girl's face fell, the shock setting in that a stranger knew her name. "I'm Damon," He quickly backtracked, wiping the smug grin from his face. "Stefan's brother." Elena looked up at the raven-haired boy in confusion, taking a step back._

"_He didn't tell me he had a brother," She said simply. Elena raised a brow at Damon, which caused him to smile._

"_Well, Stefan's not one to brag," Damon replied, tilting his head. "Please, come." He stepped aside, placing a gentle hand on Elena's shoulder. "I'm sure Stefan will be along any second."_

* * *

Alex's fingers twitched as Damon snatched his arm away from the original. She quickly folded her arms over her chest. "Casing the building, huh?" She asked, tilting her head as she looked up at him with a bland expression.

"You caught me, witchy-bitch," Damon smirked, rolling his eyes. "What are you going to do about it, stake me?" He raised his brows, tilting his head. Alex couldn't help but scoff, shaking her head at the mischievous Salvatore in front of her.

"I'm going to tell you the _same thing_ I told your brother. _Elena_ is not _Katherine_. I'm sorry that your fever dream romance felt real to you, but I know you have the ritual to open the comet in your possession." She sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"I don't know how many times I need to tell you that Katherine hadn't shared the same feelings you did before you give up and just let me do my _damn_ job." Alex watched Damon's eyes light up with anger, his nostrils flaring as he gritted his teeth.

"It is my job to protect the doppelgängers from my brothers. I locked Katherine in that tomb to keep her alive, Damon. Unless you're questioning my judgement?" Damon opened his mouth to speak, but Alex raised a hand, cutting him off.

"You Salvatore brothers bring chaos wherever you roam. The more bodies you leave behind, the more likely Mikael— and in turn, my siblings— will return to Mystic Falls to kill us all." This time, Damon didn't let her stop him from speaking. He stood taller, squaring his shoulders.

"I wish I figured out how to tear you limb from limb without your magic getting in the way already," He huffed, shaking his head. "You're becoming a real kink in my neck, Alexandria."

"What are friends for?" Alex asked, tilting her head with a smirk before turning on her heels to head out the door.


	11. ix

ix.

Alex leaned against the kitchen island in the Gilbert home, smirking as Elena wandered in with a bowl of ice cream. "So, how'd your rendezvous with Stefan pan out, El?" She asked, tilting her head.

"Please, don't get me started," Elena laughed, shaking her head. Jenna's head perked up from where she stood at the fruit basket, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Was it really that bad?" The redhead asked, picking up an apple and twirling it in between her fingers.

"He's on the rebound and has raging family issues," Elena sighed, grabbing a squeeze bottle of chocolate sauce from the dining room table and flipping it over her bowl. "Why didn't you tell me he had a brother?" Elena asked, glaring over at Alex. The blonde laughed, shaking her head.

"Because it wasn't my place to tell you, Elena. Stefan and Damon haven't been on the best of terms for quite some time." She leaned down, resting her elbows against the counter.

"Well, at least it's an ex-girlfriend," Jenna added, making her way over to Elena's side with a soft smirk. "Wait until you date a guy with mommy issues… or cheating issues." She raised the apple up to her face again as Elena rolled her eyes. "Or _amphetamine_ _issues_," The redhead added with a raised brow, causing Elena to scrunch her nose.

"Hey, did, uh… did Damon mention the name of this mysterious ex-girlfriend?" Alex asked, her brow raised in curiosity.

"Yeah," Elena sighed, shaking her head. "Some girl named Katherine. Damon said she _nearly destroyed him_." She groaned as she slammed the bottle of sauce back onto the table, stabbing into her ice cream with her spoon. Jenna furrowed her brow once more, glancing over at Alex in confusion as she started to connect the dots. When she saw the blonde staring down at her hands, her nostrils flaring, Jenna knew her assumptions were right.

_Stefan's Katherine and Alex's Katherine are one in the same._

"It wouldn't be…" Jenna's question was cut off by Alex's nod, as if she already knew what Jenna was going to ask— _she did._

"Yeah, she is," Alex sighed. Jenna's face fell as Elena furrowed her brow, shoving a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. Before the brunette could question her, Alex continued. "Katherine used the devotion of _both_ the Salvatore brothers to her advantage. She had them wrapped around her pinky, able to make them do her bidding just by batting her eyelashes and saying _pretty please_." She looked up from her hands, shaking her head. Jenna couldn't help but pull her bottom lip between her teeth, forcing herself to keep quiet instead of saying something she would regret.

"The boys will tell you otherwise, but they were a messed-up game to Katherine," She cleared her throat, standing up straight. "Every day was a contest to see how dedicated the Salvatore boys were. Long story short, it didn't end well, and they never truly accepted that she was just playing them both." Alex swallowed hard, her eyes glossy. She couldn't help but let her thoughts drift.

* * *

"_You have to chase me," Katherine called out, grabbing the skirt of her dress before quickly running away from the blonde. As Alex began to follow behind her in a light jog, her boot became stuck in a small mud puddle which led her to give off a light groan. The sound from the release of the suction that the mud caused against the boot echoed as the shoe broke free, causing the girl to stumble forward slightly. She heard Katherine let out a giggle as she looked up, seeing the girl bouncing on her heels a good distance away. _

"_You're meant to catch me," Katherine sighed, shaking her head as she stood near a stone bench, watching as Alex dusted the mud from the cuff of her trousers. _

"_Well, if I catch you, the game will be over, love," The blonde spoke with a smile as she slowly made her way to Katherine's side, tapping her muddy boot against the sturdy bench._

"_Thank you for entertaining me," Katherine said sweetly, looking up at Alex with a smile._

"_You looked lonely inside," The girl replied, a hand against the hilt of her sword. "I couldn't let such a pretty girl fester in her thoughts all alone." Katherine nodded, looking at her feet with a smirk._

"_Klaus promised to spend the day with me, but," She sighed as she sat down on the stone bench, playing with her dress as she continued to speak. "He never returned home from the night."_

"_Niklaus does not live by any rules but his own," Alex responded quickly, looking down at her feet. One glance at the Petrova girl and she'd know that the blonde was lying. She had sent Toriana out to keep their brother occupied, knowing that all Klaus really wanted was to get close enough to Katherine to be able to break his dreadful curse. The brunette looked over at Alex, noticing that she wasn't sitting down with her or looking at her. She let out a sigh before continuing to speak._

"_He is a very charming man," Katherine started, looking down at her hands. "Hard for any woman to resist, I suppose." She glanced up at the blonde, watching her swallow hard at the words she had spoken._

"_And yet?" Alex asked, taking a step forward, closing the distance between Katherine and herself._

"_I don't know why he called me," Alex sat on the bench next to Katherine as she spoke. She locked eyes with the girl she slowly learned she loved, guarding her heart from the words she was so afraid to hear. "He seems to not care about me at all," She added, her brows furrowed._

"_Believe me," Alex responded, shaking her head and looking down at her hands. She brought one hand up to the back of her neck, playing with her hair that sat in a loose bun. "My brother cares about you very much, he just doesn't understand how to properly show it."_

"_But what if I truly don't want him to care about me, Aleksandria?" The Petrova asked, taking Alex's free hand in hers. "I want to tell the world that I am in love with you, not your brothers." Alex smiled at the girl next to her, unable to believe that they were having this conversation, before quickly forcing her features to harden. _

"_You know I do not believe in love, flutter mouse. I can't. Not after all that has happened," Alex said, softly. "But that does not mean that I am not incredibly fond of you." Katherine looked at the blonde before her with a furrowed brow, her grip on the other girl's hand loosening._

"_That is too sad for me to accept, my lady," She squeezed Alex's hand slightly as the blonde took her other hand in her own. "Life is too cruel. If we cease to believe in love, why would we want to live?" Katherine asked, confused. Alex looked at her with soft eyes, sharing a smile with the brunette who placed a gentle hand against the blonde's cheek. Before she could say anything else, Klaus appeared beside Katherine, almost out of thin air, causing Alex to jump up from her seat as she dropped the Petrova's hand._

"_And to what do I interrupt, dear sister?" Niklaus asked, his clothes tattered and covered in blood. _

"_He's returned," Alex replied dully, looking her brother up and down. "Long night," She sighed, looking around hopefully for her sister. "Did you let the little one escape you again?"_

"_Toriana is training the young ones back at the village; she will be home before supper," Klaus said simply, waving his sister off. Alex stepped forward defensively, feeling the need to protect Katherine from whatever her brother had done or would possibly do. _

"_What happened?" The Petrova asked, more curious than concerned, as she eyed the boy's blood covered shirt._

"_The wrong villager picked a fight," Niklaus said slyly, sending a wink in Alex's direction as he placed a gentle hand against Katherine's elbow. He smirked at his sister as he led the Petrova away, back in the direction of what would eventually be known as the Mikaelson plantation. Alex gritted her teeth as Katherine tried to turn around and return to her side, only to be nudged forward by Klaus, leaving her to stand alone, looking down at her feet as she stood with her hands clasped in front of her._

* * *

The sound of Jeremy's pulse jerked Alex from her thoughts, her eyes snapping in the direction of the front door. She cleared her throat, shaking her hands slightly as if they needed to be airdried. "Little Gilbert, incoming." Elena looked over at her, utter confusion written all over her features as her spoon hung out of her mouth. Within seconds, the front door swung open and Jeremy stumbled in.

"You're getting creepy good at that," Elena mumbled, raising a brow at the Original. "It's like a _Jeremy tracker_ is your sixth sense or something." Alex shrugged, pushing off the counter and making her way towards the younger boy who tried to make an unsuccessful beeline for the stairs.

"You could call it a _natural gift_," The blonde turned back towards the end of the hall to lock eyes with Jenna for a moment, laughing slightly before turning back to the boy who was struggling to stumble up the steps.

"Jeremy," Alex said, sternly, grabbing the boy by the hood and stopping him in his tracks. He went to open his mouth but stopped when his eyes met the Mikaelson's angry ones.

"Alex, wait," Jenna called out, taking a step away from the table she and Elena had been standing at. The blonde raised a hand, waving her off, which frustrated her.

"Where were you?" Alex asked, moving her hand from the hood of Jeremy's jacket to grab a fist full of his T-shirt.

"It's none of your business, Alex," He placed a hand on top of hers in an attempt to pry her hand off of his shirt. Alex gritted her teeth, shaking her head.

"I really didn't want to do this, kid," She said simply. Jeremy looked up at her, his mouth slightly agape.

"Oh, no, no, no, _no_!" Jenna called out, throwing her apple in their direction. Without thinking, Alex spun around, catching the apple in the same hand that she had previously waved Jenna off with. The sound of Elena's spoon clattering against her glass bowl broke the blonde's concentration, causing her to let go of Jeremy's shirt and take a step back.

"How did you—" Elena's words were cut off by Jenna's panicked muttering as she took a step back towards the kitchen.

"No…" The redhead mumbled, shaking her head. Alex dropped the apple, slowly walking towards Jenna and Elena. "No, _Alexandria_, stay where you are." She said sternly, her voice slightly wavering.

"Jenna, I can explain," She stopped in her tracks, looking over to see the confusion in both Jeremy and Elena's features. Once a safe distance away, Jenna looked between the Gilbert children, swallowing hard.

"Go upstairs," She said simply, returning her attention to Alex. Elena turned to her aunt, her eyes narrowed.

"Wait, Aunt Jenna, why?" The brunette asked, tilting her head. She was trying to comprehend the situation before her and was starting to question what had happened in front of her only moments ago.

"Upstairs. Both of you. Now," Jenna raised her voice, causing Elena to raise her hands in defeat as Jeremy nodded his head with a smirk.

"Parental authority, I like it," He started to walk up the stairs, causing Alex to roll her eyes.

"Don't push your luck, little Gilbert," The blonde called out, keeping her attention on the redhead in front of her.


	12. x

x.

Alex attempted another step forward, but Jenna pulled open the junk drawer, quickly removing the false bottom.

"I told you to stay where you are," The redhead's voice wavered as she watched Jeremy and Elena move up the stairs. She didn't speak again until she heard both of their bedroom doors close. "Who are you?"

"Jenna, the Gilbert gadgets can't hurt me," Alex said simply, taking a cautious step forward with her hands raised in front of her face. As quickly as she had spoken, Jenna had pulled out the Gilbert compass and fiddled with it in her hands.

"Do you even know how to use that thing?" Alex furrowed her brow, dropping her hands at her sides as Jenna dug an arm cuff stake out of the drawer's false bottom.

"Who are you?" Jenna asked again, slamming both tools onto the countertop, gritting her teeth as she locked eyes with the original who was now standing on the other side of the kitchen island. Alex cleared her throat, knowing that this was not the time or place that she wanted to have this conversation. She swallowed hard, shaking her head as she looked down at her hands.

"Aleksandria Mikaelson," She said softly, playing with her thumbs before looking up at the redhead across from her. "The fourth of seven children of Esther and Mikael." She watched as Jenna's brows contorted in confusion. "Before you ask, I was born in 979AD. Which would make me…" Jenna cut her off before she could finish speaking.

"Over a thousand years old," The redhead mumbled. Alex could only nod, unable to find the words to say in that moment. "How?" Jenna placed an open palm against the granite countertop, her face angry but her eyes soft and confused.

"Jenna," Alex shook her head, looking down at her hands before looking back up at the girl who stood across from her. "It's not that easy to explain."

"Well, I have all the time for you to explain," The girl snapped, furrowing her brow. Alex sighed, shaking her head. Her mind drifted to simpler times, when she hadn't been the self-appointed doppelgänger protector.

* * *

_Alex stood with Kol, talking with the rest of the coven. She wished that the day would progress faster so that she could celebrate Samhain with her wife and family. It was the Sacrifice to the Elves, the spirits of both nature and the souls of the departed men who live on the mounds. It was the beginning of the first month of winter, the time to gift offerings to the gods and spirits for benevolence to assist survival in the winter months to come._

_The prayers of harvest had been completed, and the coven stood and conversed in a group, awaiting the celebrations to come. The village would soon gather for the Ancestor prayer, and the coven would complete the final prayer at sundown; the prayer to the gods._

_"Sundown could not come fast enough," Alex mumbled to her brother as she looked at her surroundings. She noticed Tatia standing with Rebekah, playing with the mask in her hand as she spoke. She smiled, looking back at the coven before her._

_It was one of the rare times Toriana was in a dress but even then, it wasn't like Rebekah's, much to her mother's disappointment; at least she was confident and comfortable in this. She walked around the village waiting for the celebration to begin, Felix, her fox familiar, at her feet following close. Most of the villagers were used to the small animal accompanying her at this point, paying the two no mind. Henrik ran in front of her a few paces away, a couple of children with him. Finn was somewhere with their mother once again, Elijah and Niklaus socialized with a group not far away. Her eyes scanned the crowd for her sisters. Tori quickly found Rebekah with Tatia and Alex with Kol._

_Weaving her way through the people around them, the brunette approached Alex and Kol, a smirk on her lips as she heard her sister's quiet words. Kol let out a laugh, "The sun will set soon enough, where is your patience sister?"_

"_Have you forgotten, brother, that she doesn't have any when it comes to these types of celebrations?" Toriana teased, making herself known to her two older siblings._

_Alex turned to face her sister, a large grin on her face. "It's time to mourn the dead and fear the living, dear brother." She let out a laugh, shaking her head. "I see you picked the right attire, dear sister." She winked at Tori, admiring her sister's confidence in her heritage whether their parents approved of it or not. Alex stretched, awkwardly, attempting to adjust the obnoxious leather corset that Tatia had made her wear for the celebration._

_Tori stopped to stand beside Alex, "Fearing the living, there are so many reasons to do so." A light smile graced her lips, her shoulder bumping Alex's. "I could say the same for you though. We are who we are and our location or the world around us shouldn't change that. If we forget who we are, or what we were, we cannot be our true selves." _

_Kol chuckled lightly, shaking his head. "I swear you were born too late in our order, little sister." He raised a brow at Alex's awkward stretch, "Issues, Alexandria?"_

_"Tatia made me wear this," Alex said, furrowing her brow. "I feel as though she did not tie it tight enough for fear of injuring my ribs." She laughed, shaking her head. "She's far too delicate for her own good." She looked up, seeing that Tatia and Rebekah are watching their interaction. She quickly looked back down before adjusting her corset again. "Shit."_

_Tori's smile grew into a smirk, "I would tighten if for you, but I think I'm enjoying your discomfort just a little too much." Kol threw his head back in a laugh. "Before long you'll be able to change."_

_"You're too sweet, dear sister," Alex said, sarcasm dripping from every word. She turned to her brother and rolled her eyes. "As if Tatia would allow me to change before the celebrations began. You do not yet know, brother, but you must never go against your wife's wishes. The only thing to come from that is a cold, dirty floor."_

_Kol shook his head, "Between us, marriage is not something I foresee in my future. Too little freedom and too much of one person." To prove his point his eyes roamed over a small group of the coven that passed them. "I want to see the world instead of being tied here."_

_Tori gave Alex a sickly-sweet smile before laughing. "If you want me to fix it I will," She offered once she'd stopped laughing and caught her breath._

_"Please do, Toriana. I cannot stand how loose this thing is," Alex practically begged for her sisters help, sighing. She turned her attention back to her brother, rolling her eyes. _

_"One day you'll think otherwise, Kol. After all the traveling and loneliness, you'll want something to come home to every day. You'll want stability and a constant in your life." She laughed as she shook her head. "You're still young, live your life to the fullest while you still can, brother. You don't want to end up like Nik or Elijah fighting over a married woman, or Finn following our mother around like a lost puppy."_

_Tori moved to stand behind Alex, "And people think I whine too much about dresses." Quickly the brunette began to tighten the corset of her sister's dress. "Next time just tell Tatia instead of being quiet." _

_Kol gave Alex a pointed look, "I'll never be like them, married or not. But I don't think you will be right on this one. We shall see though." He gave her a slight smirk, tilting his head._

_"You know even if I speak up, she wouldn't fix it the way I needed her to, sister," Alex rolled her eyes, sighing as she felt the corset tighten. "She's afraid of causing me pain in any way, even after knowing everything I go through after getting on that ship and leaving port." She shook her head, grimacing as Tori tightened the corset again. _

_"Be glad for your freedom, brother," Alex stated, placing her hands on the sides of the corset to help Tori position it where it needed to be._

_A soft chuckle left Tori's lips, "It's because of what she knows that she's careful. Honestly, I don't blame her. You wouldn't tell her if you were in pain, just like you aren't telling me it's too tight right now." Tori chided, loosening the corset a small amount until Alex stopped grimacing. She made sure it was tied correctly and would stay in place. "There's a difference between tight enough and too tight. Only some pay attention to it."_

_The teen lightly smacked Alex's back, "Oh don't pretend you want freedom sister." She shook her head. "You'd be too lost without her."_

"_I'm not just glad for my freedom, I enjoy it too." Kol stated with a wolfish smirk. "And if you excuse me, that's exactly what I'm going to do now."_

_"Don't remind me, Tori," Alex laughed, shaking her head. "Also, don't speak too loud or she'll hear you and start telling me every day how truly lost I would be without her." She smiled at her brother as she watched him take off in the direction of the girls he had been watching earlier. "Men truly are dogs," Alex joked, turning towards her sister._

_Tori couldn't hold back her laugh, "Well it would be all true. However, I feel like she might already know what we're talking about." Tori nodded in the direction of Tatia who was still with Rebekah, but her attention was clearly on them. _

_The teen moved to stand again beside her sister, "Not just men. But yes, our brother is certainly a dog. It will take one incredibly special woman to have him settle down."_

_Alex looked up to see Rebekah talking to Tatia, but the Brunette paying her no mind. Her eyes were locked on the closest of the Mikaelson siblings, watching their interaction. The blonde smirked, shaking her head._

_"Rebekah isn't going to be very happy when she realizes that my dear wife hasn't been paying attention to their conversation."_

_Tori shook her head, "Probably not but there isn't anything we can do about it at the moment." She gently pushed Alex forward, "Go on. The sooner you join them the less likely Rebekah is to realize that she isn't paying attention."_

* * *

"My family… we're bound by blood," Alex said simply, shaking her head. "Very much in the figurative and literal sense." She watched as Jenna clenched her jaw, trying to take in the information without retorting with a snide or sarcastic comment. "The things that Grayson's family has hunted for generations, they're bound to us by blood as well." Jenna nodded slowly, piecing things together.

"So, if I'm understanding this correctly," Jenna sighed, swallowing hard. "You're the cause of the animal attacks around town." Alex's eyes flicked upwards, her face growing paler than it naturally was.

"No, not me," She swallowed hard, shaking her head. "I haven't live fed since the 80s, Jenna." The redhead laughed, throwing her head back.

"_Live fed_," Jenna scoffed, her fist slowly clenching. "That's what you're choosing to call it?"

"What else am I supposed to label it as, Sommers?" Alex raised her voice slightly, quickly recoiling and clenching her jaw to calm herself. "No, I'm not the one doing any of this, but it is another similar to me that is." Jenna shook her head, taking a step back.

"I think it's time for you to leave," The redhead said, looking down at her feet.

"Jenna, wait," Alex pleaded, her eyes wide.

"Alex, go home," She continued, looking up at the blonde with angry eyes. The original nodded once, understanding that there was no fighting this decision. She needed the other girl to come to her conclusions on her own. Alex grabbed her jacket, watching as the redhead's shaky hands grabbed the tools that she had previously removed from the junk drawer and placed them back in the bottom, replacing the false bottom and the items that inhabited the drawer previously.

"Goodnight, _Buffy_," Alex sighed, a sad smile on her lips as she turned down the hall and headed out the front door.


	13. xi

xi.

Alex wandered through the overgrown brush and forest that led to the Mikaelson plantation. She swore that she had been paying to have the land cared for, but it seemed as if no one had been through the long driveway that led to the original site of Mystic Falls in the last few years. This was nowhere near true, as Alex had been through this exact path within the last six months to park her truck in the barn that was built on the property in the 1800s. An incessant humming inside of her head— like there was a mosquito nested in her ear— caused her to scrunch her brow, tilting her head slightly as she weaved through the fallen trees and tall grass. She reminded herself to check for ticks, as if they would somehow think the thousand-year-old witch was a viable form of nourishment. Looking back at how the night had progressed for her, she truly wished she hadn't made an attempt at compelling Jeremy. If she would have let things progress naturally, she wouldn't be wandering through the woods trying to get to a home she hadn't visited in years.

She hoped her deliveries were still being cared for, knowing that blood bags only had a real shelf life of forty-two days. She tried to think of the last time she was really home to stay. She had spent so much time avoiding the ancestral land where she had lost Tatia that she really couldn't remember the last time she was here. She also didn't remember her ancestors being so angry with her in particular that they would torture her with such a high-pitched buzzing in her ears. She ran a hand over her face, quickly rubbing her temple to try and negate the impending migraine that was sure to come. Exhaling sharply through her nose, she continued to navigate through the woods at a normal pace, knowing she would be approaching the large estate sooner than she had expected.

The buzzing in her head grew louder with each step and Alex couldn't tell who was more upset— herself for neglecting the ancient lands, or her coven for her not returning home. She made a mental note to spend more time here to appease the spirits, concluding that her connection to the other side had been dwindling. She really couldn't see any other reason for them to be so loud at this time, especially because she had been refraining from using her magic as to not alert Niklaus of her whereabouts. She had learned incredibly early on that he had been tracking her via her magic, which led her to refrain from using it, even in the most dire of situations. It's what led to her youngest sister's capture in 1864— using the coven's magic to link the comet to the locking of the tomb under fell's church.

As Alex approached where the dirt side road met the asphalt, she looked up to see the gate to the brick mansion slightly ajar. She studied the iron gate, not noticing anything out of place. The copper lions that stood at each side of the gate had turned green from oxidization, and the plaque with their family name and the date that the home was built dangling by the only screw that remained in the stone.

_The Mikaelson Plantation_

_c. 1769_

She knew that 147 acres was a lot to care for, but it was the only way for the witch to make sure that nothing was built over their coven's original home. It was overwhelming at times, but that's why the family always had someone living on the property to maintain it. The last time that Alex had checked, there was a family living on the property within the two tenant cottages that was caring for the land that had been in her name for the last 240 years. She walked across the small bridge that led to the front gate of the property. Once she was able to see the inside of the property line, she could tell that the building was still being maintained and repaired. The tall white pillars that surrounded the front door of the brick building made her feel small, bur she realized that— as soon as she opened the gate and stepped foot on the property— the buzzing in her head fell silent. Something, or someone, was calling the blonde home.

She closed the gate behind her, a feeling of content washing over her as she looked across the yard and admired the perfectly trimmed grass as well as she could in the dark. She continued across the stone path that led up to the front steps of the estate, pulling her keys from her jacket pocket as she rolled her eyes at the six chimneys that stood tall amongst the roof of the building. While it seemed excessive now, it was needed to keep the house warm all those years ago— and whatever Katherine and Toriana wanted, they got.

Alex unlocked the deep blue colored front door, the hinges creaking as she opened it. She looked down, immediately seeing the two radiators on each side of the door that had to be from at least the 1920s. She laughed to herself lightly as she closed the door behind her, the lionhead knocker clanking as the door moved. She knew that there weren't many people who would venture out this far, but she made sure to lock the door behind her anyway. She justified it to herself as an extra form of comfort _just in case_.

She tossed her keys onto the table in the middle of the hallway, sighing as they clattered against the metal vase that rest— completely empty— in the center of the round table. She shrugged her jacket off, turning through the doorway to her right which led directly into the large family library. She quickly plopped down against the powder blue chaise lounge chair, draping her jacket against the side as she closed her eyes, running her hand down her face once more. Now that the buzzing in her head had stopped, it was easier for her to focus on what was happening. Although, the silence didn't last long.

As quickly as the buzzing had stopped, it had started again, this time coming from the cellphone that rest in her jacket pocket. Just as she had expected— as soon as Alex was away from the dead zone in the woods— her phone began vibrating relentlessly with the collection of missed calls from her friends and the incoming text messages from Elena, all of which were questioning her whereabouts. She waited for her phone to fall silent before scrolling through her notifications.

_**1 missed call**__ 9:00pm_

_Elena— Did Jenna kick you out?_

_Elena— Do you have somewhere you can go?_

_Elena— Alex, what's going on?_

_Elena— Call me when you get these, it's getting late._

_**7 missed calls**__ 9:45pm_

_Elena— Why aren't my calls going through?_

_Elena— Alex, I'm getting worried._

_Elena— Are you okay?_

_**12 + missed calls**__ 10:45pm_

_Bonnie— Is everything okay? Elena's worried._

_Caroline— Alex, why can't anyone get a hold of you?_

Alex removed the pillow from underneath her head as she dropped her phone next to her. She quickly pressed the pillow over her face as she yelled into it, using the light blue fabric to muffle her voice. She appreciated her friends, but it was times like these where she truly just needed to be in her home, by herself, in complete silence.


	14. xii

xii.

As she calmed down, Alex tossed the pillow across the room, looking up to the ceiling with a sigh. In order to keep her friends from coming to look for her, she decided to type out a message in the notepad of her phone to copy and paste into each of the girl's inboxes. Knowing they'd compare messages in the morning, she personalized each one slightly so that she didn't sound _too_ robotic. She knew the first thing Elena would assume was that the blonde was kidnapped— the Gilbert girl always thought Alex was too _trusting _of others. It wasn't that she was trusting, but that she knew that she was certainly— almost always— the most powerful _being_ in the room.

Alex held her cellphone above her head as she typed, thinking of how to word her messages due to her varying closeness with each girl in question.

_To Elena— I'm at home, safe. I know you have no idea if I'm telling the truth or not, but I need you to trust me. Buffy needs some space, but I'll come back around soon enough._

_To Bonnie— I'm home safe. I'll see you all on Monday._

_To Caroline— Had no service. Home safe. See you Monday._

Alex sat up, shoving her phone into her back pocket as she began to stand. She looked around the library, not really paying attention to the books that scattered around the room. The last time she was home it wasn't for awfully long. She honestly couldn't remember the last time she had been home for more than an hour. She reached her arms out behind her, stretching slightly, before she made her way back into the foyer. Without thinking, her feet took her up the stairs that led directly to the loft and master bedroom. Her brow furrowed when she reached the top of the stairs. The door to her left, Tori's bedroom door, had slid open. She shook her head, chalking it up to a trick of the light from where she stood downstairs.

Taking a step into the room, Alex sighed. The floors creaked as she moved, putting her dominant hand into her pocket as she leaned against the door frame. She glanced around the room at the dark walls and large windows, exactly what the teen had asked for in a bedroom. Items that the Mikaelson had collected throughout their travels sat on the headboard of the bed that hadn't been touched in 145 years. A glint of silver on the wall above the headboard caught Alex's eye. She took a few steps forward, her eyes adjusting to the dark as she moved. The closer she got, the more the object glistened. She stopped at the edge of the bed, reaching forward to run her fingers across the blade. She smiled softly, remembering the day Tori had been gifted the sword that hadn't moved from the wall since the estate was built in 1769.

* * *

_Toriana ran down the shore. The moment she had seen the ship head in she'd bolted from the village look out to meet it. It had been a daily ritual for the past week: help with chores, check on Tatia, sneak to the barracks to train for a few hours then sit up at the look out to watch for the ships until one of her siblings or the coven came searching for her. It felt like it had been one of the longest months of her life. While she loved all her siblings dearly, she was closest with Alex even though they were six years apart in age. Toriana looked up to her older sister— the way she fought, her control of her magic, everything. They were just similar. Yes, she adored Rebekah, but it wasn't the same._

_As Tori ran, she was thanking the gods that she'd spent her time in the barracks as she was in trousers and not a dress. Otherwise, this run would have been horrible. Finally, she was close enough and could clearly see the blonde hair and build of her sister. "Alex!" The name fell from her lips with excitement and relief, the older Mikaelson was okay. The brunette skidded to a stop on the shore in front of Alex, a smirk on her lips. "Welcome home."_

_"There she is," Alex grinned, taking her wrist guards off before wrapping the brunette in a hug. "It's nice to see a welcoming face around here. Where is everyone?" She asked, more a question about Tatia than their siblings and parents. "I brought gifts back from Europe."_

_Tori held her close, her body relaxing finally after weeks of being on edge. "She's in the village but I'm sure the moment she saw me take off she knew," she whispered before pulling away. "I'm not sure what Rebekah and Henrik are doing, but Elijah and Niklaus we__re__ attempting to spar earlier. Mother's helping Ayana and I haven't a clue where father is." Toriana didn't normally watch their siblings. While the village was one of Vikings, it was relatively safe during the day. Her smirk returned at the mention__of gifts, "Well, it looks like we will have to find everyone then."_

_Alex smiled, taking a step back before grabbing her rucksack and her armor in each hand before nodding in the direction of the village on the hill above them. "We've got a while to walk, might as well talk while we venture home." Alex took a deep breath in, taking in her surroundings. While she loved being out at sea, she constantly worried about her sisters and her companion. She silently hoped that the gift for Tatia's son would be suitable and that __her wife__ would not have her head for bringing him home a gift in the first place. Alex stopped short, remembering something._

_"Why do you think I ran all the way here?" Toriana teased. "I wanted you to myself for just a while before everyone else surrounds you." __Or you slip off with Tatia,__ the girl thought, shaking her head as she looked down at her feet._

_"Before we go, go grab that sword from the sand, Toriana." Alex smiled, watching the confusion in her sister's face._

_Tori turned her head glancing at the sword before her sister once more, "Alright." One brow raised as she slowly did as she was asked. The blade fe__lt__ comfortable in her hand, well balanced. She turned back to Alex__, __taking a few steps until she was back in stride with her. "I didn't think Erik could make a sword this balanced. Unless you've worked it__, t__hat is."_

_"There's no need for Erik to make a sword as balanced as that one unless you have me," Alex smirked, placing her hand on the hilt of her own sword. "Maybe later we will spar, show the boys how it's really done." Her mind wandered to what her brothers could have been sparring over, other than Tatia. Toriana chuckled, she couldn't name how many times she had wandered into her father's workshop only to find Alex smithing a sword or two._

_"I would rather trust my life on a sword you made than him, and it's his job." That's when it hit her, "Wait..." her eyes w__a__ndered back to the sword, then to the one still on her sisters' hip, "Is this mine?" She studied Alex's face, "And of course we can spar if you aren't tired later. Those two wouldn't last a moment in battle. They wouldn't let me partake with them nor listen to my pointers. I've been practicing every day at the barracks though." She watched Alex start to get lost in her own mind. Tori lightly bumped against her older sister._

_"Of course, it's yours little sister," Alex grinned, holding back a laugh. She knew this was the right time to bring a memorable gift for Tori, and she chose the perfect one. "I wouldn't make just anyone a special custom weapon. I bought the ivory for the hilt the day we arrived in Europe and customized the cross guard for you specifically. I've watched your stance and technique and made you your own sword based on that." Alex rambled, pushing the thoughts of her family to the back of her mind, simply happy to be on land again._

_Tori's bottom lip moved between her teeth, a happy glint in her eye. "Thank you... thank you so much Alex. I truly appreciate this. I promise I will treat it with the best of care." She meant every word. This sword would never leave her side__— __or back__— d__epending on the sheath she found for it. Little did either one know, even one thousand years later, Toriana would still have it in her possession in perfect condition. "Now we definitely have to spar later. I don't want my first time with it to be against anyone else." As the two sisters neared the village, Alex could see a familiar figure waiting for them by the fire._

_"Seems she did know. Otherwise she would be busy as always." Toriana let out another soft chuckle, the words soft enough for only Alex to hear. "Do you want me to stay or go see if I can find Rebekah?"_

_"I know you will, Tori," Alex said, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "And you're more than welcome to stay. Tatia and I have a month of catching up to do, but it can wait." Alex laughed, charging up the hill. "Last one up has to make the other's plate for dinner!" As Alex neared the top of the hill, she noticed Tatia running towards her, grinning from ear to ear. She quickly dropped her belongings and lifted the smaller girl by the waist, spinning her around._

_"Hey!" Toriana took off after her sister before slowing down on purpose to allow the two a moment between themselves. She watched them a few paces behind, a genuine smile on her lips wondering if one day she would be able to ever find something like the two had._

_"Welcome home, Alexandria," Tatia said, laughing._

_"It would never be a true welcome without you, love," Alex placed the Petrova girl back onto the ground before placing a kiss on her lips. Their routine was always the same; Alex would return home, and Tatia would be waiting for her at the center of the village._

_"No, don't worry Alex. I will gladly carry all of this for you," Tori sassed as she carefully balanced her new sword and gathered her sister's things, though the brunette truly __didn't __mind. If her sister was happy, that was all that mattered._

_"It seems the little fox missed you dearly," Tatia said, nodding towards Tori who was carrying Alex's month of__luggage._

_"She's becoming stronger, she can handle it," Alex laughed, looking back at the Petrova girl. "I missed you." Tatia smiled at the blonde, placing her hand on the back of the girl's head and playing with the intricate braids that cascaded down the Viking's back. It was as if someone had filmed their first reunion and played it back every time Alex returned home. Their mannerisms were always the same, always in tune with one another. It had become a ritual between the two, greeting each other in the center of the village, having their moment together with the same repeated dialogue every time. Alex wondered if she'd ever grow old of that same meeting— if she'd ever wish they had said or done different things as the time passed._

_"And I you, dear," Tatia smiled, pulling the Viking in for another kiss. It wasn't long before they were interrupted by the clattering of armor on the path behind them. The sound of Niklaus and Elijah arguing __was__ what truly grabbed the blonde's attention, causing her to step back with her head snapping in their direction._

_A groan left Tori's lips at the sound of her two older brothers sparring over Tatia once more, as if they hadn't learned their lesson the last time Alex had returned home from sea. "Ignore them," Tori whispered to Alex before looking over at her brothers. "You've seen those two fools with swords. They couldn't defend the village from a wolf if it came down to it." She smirked looking at the Petrova girl, "Not that I'd let it come to that if need be." She lifted her sword up slightly, her bottom lip tucked in between her teeth in excitement._

_"Maybe I made you your own sword too soon if you're going to threaten to swing before ever using it in battle," Alex laughed, turning to lock eyes with her sister for a moment. It was then that she felt a concerned hand grip her forearm, bringing her attention back to Tatia._

_"You made your sister a sword?" She gasped, trying to keep her voice down. "Aleksandria, she is much too young to be playing with weapons." Alex rolled her eyes, smiling._

_"Tatia, the girl is sixteen. When you were her age you were married to a man from another coven and I was on a ship with him for six months, watching him pillage and betray your trust. She is more than old enough to carry her own sword." Alex shook her head, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Besides, at least one of my siblings needs to wield a weapon correctly with Niklaus and Elijah threatening to behead each other when they couldn't even step up and follow through with their family duties to fight the good fight." Alex turned to face her brothers, taking a few steps towards them while placing her hand on the hilt of her sword once more._

* * *

A gruff, sarcastic voice pulled Alex from her thoughts, causing her to nearly drop the sword from her hands. She blinked back the light that began to shine from the windows, turning towards the door.

"You just going to stand there and stare at that _rusty_ old sword for the rest of your miserable eternal life, blondie?" Damon called out; his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the door frame. "No one's heard from her in almost a hundred and fifty years. Face it, _Xena__Warrior Princess_ isn't coming back." Alex clenched the hilt, not remembering when she had removed the sword from the wall in the first place. Her face hardened and she quickly looked away from the older Salvatore. She scoffed, placing the sword back on its mantle against the wall.

"Watch how you speak of her sword, Soldier," Alex turned to face the oldest Salvatore slowly, her eye catching the crumpled sheets in the bedroom across the hall. Her brow furrowed slightly as she tilted her head, trying to get a better look into her own bedroom.

"I don't think I've ever seen someone who seemed so disgusted to see me," Damon laughed, his forehead crinkling as he smiled. He followed the blonde's gaze, turning back to her with a slight brow raise. Alex pushed past him; the confusion etched in her face showing more with every step.

"Forget wondering how you got in here," Alex started, storming into the loft. She looked around the room, noticing little the things that were out of place. Books on the night stand that Alex knew she hadn't taken from downstairs in years. Pillows crumpled on the bed with sheets pulled back, along with the sheets that covered the portraits of Alex and Katherine in piles on the floor. She scoffed, turning around on her heels to look at the older Salvatore brother with a raised brow.

"Have you been _sleeping_ in my _house_?" She turned back towards the bed, making her way into the master bathroom to find a bubble bath drawn, accompanied with a pile of clean, fluffy, white towels, an open bottle of red wine, and a wine glass— a quarter full with lipstick stains perfectly placed on the rim. "Damon, who are you _fucking_ in my _house_?"


	15. xiii

xiii.

"Damon, who are you _fucking_ in my _house_?" Alex asked, her head turning towards Damon who looked at her with a scheming grin on his face. Although he hadn't brought anyone into the Mikaelson home recently, it didn't mean that Alex's question was unjust.

"That's for me to know and you to _dot, dot, dot,"_ Alex scowled at the older Salvatore using Katherine's words against her in that moment. She quickly scanned the room, noticing that the dust that should have collected along the porcelain was almost nonexistent. Her eyes widened, knowing that if the broody Salvatore had brought over another conquest it meant that whatever ditzy or drunk girl he brought home likely did some exploring. Alex looked in the direction of the walk-in closet she had built for Katherine in hopes that she could eventually open the tomb and bring the Petrova girl home.

"Whatever you're on, I want some," Damon laughed, draping one arm over the other as he pointed at Alex. As quickly as she had let the anger bubble up, Alex pushed past Damon. He stumbled backwards at the force as she blasted through him, charging into her bedroom once more before redirecting herself to her walk-in closet.

"Damon, I swear to the gods," She mumbled under her breath, her eyes darting across the fully furnished closet. She found exactly what she had been looking for within moments; Katherine's dresses— or at least the collection that Alex had left— from the 1400s to the 1800s. She ran her hand against them taking inventory, noticing that they were out of place compared to the way that the blonde had left them the summer prior.

"And I'm the one with the obsession," Damon scoffed, his grin taking up a majority of his face when he came to the realization that the Mikaelson wasn't over the doppelgänger after all. It was exactly what he had expected, but it pleased him to have his suspicions confirmed. Ignoring him, Alex turned and took a quick inventory of her surroundings. She pulled open drawers and lifted cushions, moving clothing around and ultimately leaving the room more of a mess than it had been when she had entered in the first place. Taking the commotion as his only window to make an exit, Damon slowly backed out of the room. He kept an eye on the blonde who zipped around in the moderately sized walk-in, throwing clothes and shoes as she searched her belongings. As quietly as he had entered the home, he made his way down to the library.

"Now, if I was a _priceless_ motif, where would I be hiding," He mumbled to himself as he entered the room, his eyes scanning the wall to wall shelves. He could hear Alex rummaging through her closet above him and shook his head, tsking as he took a step forward. He was in search of something, anything really, to keep the Mikaelson sister off of his back while he made an attempt to open the tomb— after he harassed his brother, that is. His boots echoed against the old wooden floors as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. As Damon's eyes locked on the shelf of books written by the Mikaelson family and their close companions an idea popped into his head. Something on this shelf was exactly what he was looking for.

"No, no, no, no, no," Alex called out from upstairs. Damon heard the sound of furniture hitting the walls above him, causing him to flinch slightly. "This isn't right, it should be right here!" The ceiling above him rattled as Alex slammed a hidden safe shut, stomping around the room directly above him. Damon ignored the noise, lifting up an index finger as he scanned the spines of the books on the shelves. One in particular stood out to him. The worn forest green leather popped against the reds and maroons of the other books in its row, leading the Salvatore to slide it from its hiding place and hold it in his hands. He gently ran his hand against the cover of the book. **трептене****-****миши** sat in the center of the leather, the letters hand painted in a decorative silver. Damon waited a beat, his brow furrowing at the crudely etched Bulgarian in the otherwise perfectly manufactured leather. He took the black silk bookmark at the base and flipped the small collection of short stories open.

"Would you look at that," he chuckled to himself, his lips turning upward in a smug smirk. This was it, his key to distracting the witch from his only real mission in Mystic Falls: setting Katherine Pierce free. He watched a leather armchair tumble down the stairs from the corner of his eye, taking that as his cue to leave the Mikaelson estate. He tucked the small leather book into the breast pocket of his jacket, replacing the book with another that sat on the table nearest him, filling its empty void on the shelf. Within the blink of an eye, he was gone, and Alex was standing in his place. She zipped around the library, breathing heavily once she finally stopped to stand still.

The vein in her temple throbbed as she stood where Damon had previously, the blacks around her ice blue irises that seeped into the veins of her face only made her look paler and her eyes a much more vibrant blue. She scrunched her nose causing her lips to pull up slightly, her dual sets of fangs peeking out as she inhaled through her mouth sharply. Alex's hunger was taking over, causing her to think erratically. There was no way someone could have taken her tracking map, the only way she knew where her family was at all times. The only people who knew where it was hidden were Damon and Stefan. If the Salvatore brothers knew what was good for them, they would have left it right where Alex had stored it 145 years prior. Her nose twitched involuntarily at the idea that Klaus could have the map in his possession. It was the only thing that had kept Alex and Tori safe for centuries, and now it was missing, taken right from under the witch's nose.


	16. xiv

xiv.

_Alex lay in the middle of a dirt road, dressed in slacks and a button up as Katherine sat staring down at her. A smirk appeared on both of their faces as a carriage began to draw closer. Katherine cleared her throat as her face quickly went from a smug joyful expression to a fearful one._

_"Please!" She pushed herself off of the dirt road, stumbling forward in a hurry. "Please, help us!" She called out, the horse coming to a stop as she drew near. "Please, my husband, he's been hurt!" She begged, balling the skirt of her dress in her hands. "Please help him." The coachman jumped from his spot, rushing towards Alex's side._

_"What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?" The passenger asked, confused, as he stepped out of the cab. "It's not safe."_

_"No. No, Sir," Katherine looked down at her feet, a smirk quickly taking over her lips. "It's not safe." Before the man could react, Katherine lunged forward, sinking her teeth into his neck. The coachman looked at Alex with a furrowed brow, kneeling down to get a better look in the dark._

_"I thought you said this was your husband?" He called out, turning his head as he spoke. "This is a woman." Alex let out a laugh, opening her eyes._

_"One can pretend, can't they?" She asked, quickly lunging forward and doing the same. She tossed the drained body of the cab driver to the side, slowly rising to her feet. She used her thumb to wipe the excess blood from her chin, tilting her head at the girl who flashed in front of her. "Husband, huh?" She let out a laugh as Katherine twirled back and forth for a moment._

_"You act like they would have stopped if I had said my 'friend'." The brunette rolled her eyes, the blood from the man in the cab dripping from her chin. Alex reached her hand out, lightly grasping Katherine's chin, and pulled the girl's face towards her own._

_"Always finding new ways to play with your food," the blonde's eyes flickered towards her lips before quickly returning to look into the brunette's eyes. Katherine placed a gentle hand against Alex's chest before responding in a breathy tone._

_"I learned from the best," She smirked as Alex let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head._

* * *

Alex sat in the basement, a fresh blood bag in her hands as she tossed the now empty one to the side. As quickly as she had drained the previous one, she sank her teeth into the next bag. She was too busy draining the tall pile of bags in her lap to pay attention to the excessive number that rest in the large basement fridge.

* * *

_Alex and Katherine sat across from Emily Bennett and Toriana in the back of the horse drawn carriage. The doppelgänger looked down at her hands quietly, humming to herself as the body of the carriage wobbled back and forth._

_"Must we really return to this town every century as if it doesn't end always in pitchforks and flames?" Tori asked, looking out the window as Alex sighed audibly._

_"If someone could be more discrete with their feeding habits and not use the town as their play things we wouldn't have to move around so often." The blonde looked over to Katherine who sat with her hat covering her face. The brunette rolled her eyes at the Mikaelson's statement, fiddling with the gloves on her hands. Her cornflower blue and cream dress highly contrasted Alex's solid black one. Tori, being the stubborn one, sat in trousers and a petticoat. The snowy ruffles of her cuffs and collar peeked out from under her navy colored coat adorned with brassy buttons._

_"You speak as though we don't already have constant camp canard with Toriana's buccaneer duds," Katherine scoffed._

_"And what of it?" Tori asked, leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees. "Let those no account grey backs continue their jawing. Besides," She narrowed her eyes at the Petrova seated diagonally across from her, a smirk creeping across her lips. "You cannot tell me you were not entertained when truly was a buccaneer." Katherine laughed through her nose, shaking her head._

_"Steal from the rich and give to yourself," The Petrova sighed, finally looking up at the youngest Mikaelson with a smile of her own gracing her features. "You truly were your own Robin Hood, little fox." It was Tori's turn to roll her eyes, opening her mouth to give a snarky response until her eyes met her sister's._

_"Enough," Emily glared at Katherine, her gaze quickly moving to look at the roof of the carriage above her. "The last thing we need is for the Salvatore's to greet a carriage full of bickering hens." Alex raised a brow at the Bennett witch, a scoff leaving her lips. She shook her head, her eyes quickly meeting Katherine's._

_"Emily's right, flutter mouse," the blonde sighed in content as the doppelgänger placed a gloved hand in her own. "It's best we remain civil until we can return home." Alex looked down at their hands, delicately lacing their fingers together. Her blue eyes flicked up to meet Katherine's hazel ones, a small smile on her lips as the carriage came to a halt. The Petrova released Alex's hand, returning her own into her lap as she slowly turned towards the door next to her. Emily stepped out first, her hand quickly reaching outward to help Katherine and the others out of the carriage. _

_Alex was at a loss for words, her gaze finally catching Stefan's face as he made his way down the front steps of the Salvatore estate. She swallowed hard as the Salvatore made his way to greet the group, her head quickly turning to look at her sister. Tori's brow was furrowed, her eyes blinking quickly as she tilted her head. Alex bit back the words she so desperately wanted to speak, her previous cheerful expression faltering._

_"Is the universe playing some sick joke?" She whispered, clenching her jaw as the boy stopped in front of Katherine. Alex watched them, her heart dropping when she saw that the doppelgängers shared the same gazes with each other that the last pair had. A gaze filled with lust, longing, interest, hopefulness. _

You died in my arms eight centuries ago. I took your wife as my own and raised your son after she burned on the pyre.

_"You must be Miss Pierce," Stefan said simply, his arms tucked behind his back as he bowed slightly._

_"Please," The Petrova smirked, reaching out a hand for the Salvatore to take. "Call me Katherine," he took her hand in his own for a moment as she curtseyed. They looked at each other for far too long after Stefan had let go of Katherine's hand, causing Tori to speak up._

_"What's more of a courtesy than meeting your neighbors face to face," Tori smirked, tilting her head slightly as she reached out her hand, quickly taking Stefan's in her own and shaking it._

_"Ah, the Mikaelson sisters," He said, his voice cracking slightly as if he was caught off guard._

_"Toriana," the brunette spoke quickly, clearing her throat to grab Alex's attention._

_"Alexandria," Alex forced a smile as Stefan reached out his hand. Instead of taking it, she looked down at the ground and curtseyed quickly. "It's a pleasure, Mister Salvatore." _

_"Oh, Mister Salvatore is my father. Please, call me Stefan." He smiled as he returned his attention to Katherine as if the rest of the group didn't exist. Katherine couldn't keep the corner of her lips from flicking up in a small smile, causing Alex to clench her jaw once more._

* * *

Alex moved to the biohazard bin, quickly tossing the now empty blood bags in as she moved back towards the stairs. She rung her hands together, clearing her throat. As she moved, she grabbed a rag off the railing, wiping the excess blood from her face.

* * *

_Alex slowly stumbled up the steps of the Salvatore estate that led to the bedrooms, watching Emily as she frantically moved up the stairs ahead of her. Katherine and Emily hadn't returned home the night before, leading her to grow exceedingly worried. With the town beginning to learn of its vampire inhabitants, the blonde's mind was racing with every little possibility. When she had learned that Katherine had stayed with the Salvatore's, her worries only changed their topics. Her eyes caught the open door to the guest bedroom, causing her to turn her head slightly. Her confused expression fell when she heard Katherine's giggles coming from the closed door at the top of the stairs._

_"What are you doing? Stop it!" Katherine's voice was muffled, but Alex could hear the words from the other side of the door. Once again, her heart dropped. She knew what she would find on the other side of the door but let Emily lean forward to knock anyway. As Emily pushed the door open slightly, Alex leaned forward to open it fully, running her tongue against her top teeth as her nose twitched. Katherine wore the same dress Alex had arrived in, her hair pulled to one side out of her face. She watched as the blankets moved underneath the girl._

_"Yes?" Katherine asked, turning to look at the door as she sat up, straddling Damon. Her expression contorted from a playful smirk to a shocked, fearful, expression. "Alex, I—" The blonde shook her head, scoffing as she turned and left the room. She could hear the Petrova calling after her, her feet stomping against hardwood as she ran, but continued to move down the stairwell._

* * *

There was a knock at the door that pulled her back into reality again, causing Alex to look down at the doorknob in front of her. She blinked back the thoughts that came rushing in. It was one of the reasons why she had avoided the Mikaelson estate at all costs. As she pulled the front door open, she was met with an all too familiar face on the other side.

"Alex—"


	17. xv

"Alex—" The girl with the pixie cut furrowed her brow, tilting her head with a smirk. "You're not the usual face I see when I make my deliveries."

"Rose-Marie?" Alex asked, her brow furrowed slightly, reaching out a hand to take the styrofoam cooler from the girl's hand. She tilted her head, letting out a groan. "If you know where I am then so do my brother's contacts."

"That's only if I don't tell them," Rose smirked, letting go of the cooler before crossing her arms over her chest. She shifted her weight as she looked the Mikaelson up and down. "I'm not the one who pissed them off if you remember correctly." Alex laughed, shaking her head.

"You're right," She leaned against the door frame, nodding towards the pink hues of the skyline. "You better get going, the sun will be up in no time and, by the looks of the completely tinted car, you can't be out much longer." Rose nodded, shoving her hands into her pockets.

"Yeah," The girl laughed, slowly backing away. "I'm sure this isn't the last we'll be seeing each other." Alex cleared her throat, nodding.

"I'm sure you're right." She closed the door, rolling her eyes once she was out of sight of the other woman. While catching up with old friends was nice, she had more important things to take care of at the moment.

* * *

Damon entered the boarding house quietly, not wanting to startle anyone with his presence. However, as he walked further in, his hearing picked up the last of a conversation that instantly made his mood sour. _"How do I know he hasn't had it the entire time?"_

"You know, you might want to speak more kindly about someone who has information on something _you_ value more than anything." Damon spoke with a small smirk as he leaned against the wall. "Although it is flattering you talk about me when I'm gone, Alex." He tilted his head, raising his brow slightly. Alex rolled her eyes at the oldest Salvatore, looking from Stefan to Damon, who stood in the walkway watching them.

"Everything I value is either in the hands of my deranged brother, is locked in the tomb, or has been killed by a deranged brother. I truly doubt you have any information for me, Damon." Alex scoffed, her hands landing against her thighs as she stood, turning to make her way towards the decanter on the large wooden desk in the back of the room.

"Mm, well it's good to see they got part of the story right." Damon said nonchalantly with a half shrug. "I guess it doesn't matter then." His lips started to curl into a twisted smile, but he stopped himself. Stefan raised a brow studying his older brother; Damon knew something, that wasn't a lie.

"Have you finished tearing my town apart piece by piece, or are you trying to out us all, _soldier_?" Alex lifted the square glass that now held a healthy amount of scotch to her lips as she turned around, raising her brow at the raven-haired boy.

Damon moved to sit in one of the wingback chairs, "Your town? I'm pretty sure this town belongs to the state and the people within it." He glanced at Stefan, "You're the one in school Steffy, isn't that what they're teaching you these days?"

Stefan took a step forward, "Cut to the chase, Damon. Clearly there's something you want to share."

Damon chuckled, "What's it matter? Alex is going to believe what she wants. What's an old tale from the 1900's going to do?" He paused for a moment, pressing a finger to his chin. "Oh, did I forget to mention? I went scanning through some of the Mikaelson archives while you were tearing your home apart."

Alex rolled her eyes, twirling her glass as she sat back down and kicked her feet up. "Yes, Damon, my town. Or did you forget who the true founding families were all those years ago? We may not have put up a fancy sign or brick and mortar buildings, but the Mikaelson's, Petrova's and the Bennett's have protected this town with their lives for centuries." She took another sip from her glass, raising her brow when she watched the exchange between the brothers before her. She tried not to let her peaked interest— or her disdain for the fact that he was rummaging through her things— show when Damon mentioned the archives.

"And what's the newest folklore about the lives we've led, Salvatore?" Alex leaned forward, pointing a finger at Damon as she spoke. "Do tell."

Damon rolled his eyes, "So humble." There truly was no point in getting to this debate. He wouldn't mind continuing leading the blonde in circles if it kept her away from him opening the tomb, but then she jumped at the bait. His smile returned and the raven-haired man stood to pour himself a drink.

"Oh, nothing much. Just a story about a _big bad wolf_ and a _little fox_..." Damon's tone dripped of boredom. "It was a silly thing now that I truly think about it. Didn't make a lot of sense, but it _was_ interesting." He eyed Alex as he finished pouring his drink, trying to get a read on her.

"What are you even talking about, Damon?" Stefan asked, utterly confused. _What did a wolf and fox have to do with anything?_

"You'd think it was written by the Grimm brothers with how dark it was," Damon gave a fake shiver as he took a drink. Alex placed her glass down, her nose twitching involuntarily as she gritted her teeth.

"Big bad wolf my ass," She scoffed, looking down at her glass. Swallowing hard, she looked up again. "Klaus and Tori, Stefan," she shook her head, standing from her seat. Alex ran her tongue across her top teeth. She thought about snapping Damon's neck just for using her sister's nickname in the inflection he had but she decided against it.

"I really don't believe you, Damon." She placed the glass to her lips, throwing her head back and finishing off what was left in it.

"Oh," Stefan took a second to let the information settle, his eyes moving between the two. "Why would a tale about Klaus and Tori matter. She's gone, Damon." He glanced at Alex to make sure his words weren't too cruel. "You truly are an ass."

"Tori isn't gone, Stefan. She's merely…. Incapacitated," Alex sighed, tapping her fingers against her now empty glass.

Damon glared at Stefan, "I would be extra nice to me right now." He stood from his seat, a scowl taking over his smug features. "I could have kept all of this to myself, but I was feeling a little selfless." He turned his attention back to Alex, "And the story matters because of what it holds. Why not hear it before you dismiss it? A tale written in 1930, nearly sixty-six years after we all left. A little odd don't you think?" A smirk tugged at his lips, "Unless you've given up just like the tale predicts. I suppose 150-some-years can take the fight out of you." Alex's brows furrowed at the added information.

"Damon, Klaus has Finn. If I use a locator spell, Elena is as good as dead. We all know this." She closed her eyes, shaking her head. "But, no, I don't find it odd. Of course my brother would return home knowing I've been gone for sixty years. The question is, who would live to tell the tale that the stingy brother with the tricky little fingers was back on American soil?"

"трептене-миши," _Treptene Mishi_, Damon said with a shrug. "From the information in this tale, you wouldn't need magic." He gave her a charming smile which quickly turned into a frown. "But you don't believe it so what's it matter."

Stefan huffed, "Just tell the damn tale, Damon. You're just dying for us to ask, aren't you?"

"Little bit," Damon took another sip of his drink.

"Then just tell it already so we can move on."

"Someone woke up on the grouchy side of the bed this morning," Damon teased, "But I don't mind if I do." The vampire moved to refill his glass. "We all already know the juicy parts. The big bad wolf, leads his pack by fear and cruelty. His pack made up of misfits— writers' choice of words, not my own." He said pointing at Alex, "One of the members is the fox— sly little thing— but the writer says they're loyal to a fault. The wolf keeps the members in line with the help of an old mystic tree." Damon looked toward Stefan.

"Something that makes no sense to me, but this tree can apparently put things to sleep. Not the Disney kind either, a torturous sleep. _Any-who_, one day the little fox just ticks the wolf off, betrays him." He took a quick sip of his drink. "So, big bad wolf puts the fox to sleep. However, instead of putting the fox with the other sleeping members of the pack, he hides her away. For he knew the dove—who I'm guessing is _you_," Again he looked at Alex, "would come searching for her. So, he _buried_ her." He tilted his head back, swallowing what was left in his glass.

"And it seems his plan works, fore the little fox remains buried in her own personal hell, waiting and waiting for the dove to come find her. The Dove gives up on her, though. Defeated by the big bad wolf just as he wanted. The foxes only hope is for someone to find a way to locate her grave. Now the tale doesn't say where she's buried but it did have a nifty little riddle with it at the end." Alex let out a laugh, shaking her head.

"You had me there for a moment, Damon. You really did." She ran a hand through her hair. "I didn't know you learned Bulgarian just to fuck with my head, that was clever. But, you see," She stood up, stalking towards Damon. "трептене-миши has been locked in the tombs since 1864." She looked over at Stefan, raising a brow. "Does _Flutter Mouse_ ring any bells to you?"

Damon tried not to laugh, "I might enjoy screwing with your head but don't flatter yourself, blondie. I didn't learn anything for you." He took a step back as she moved forward, pulling a small book from his back pocket. Worn forest green leather, the writing on the cover faded silver. He opened to where the black silk bookmark attached to the binding was tucked away, turning it so Alex could see. The title of the tale _Little Fox_ and underneath in the author line **трептене-миши**. "The name's just a coincidence." He turned the pages until he reached the end of the tale. "Make any sense to you?"

_To move to the future you must go to the past._

_Where ancient bones fell and familiars dwell, judgment waits._

_Pure intentions will call the guides._

_Follow the foxes to where she lies._

Alex rolled her eyes, unable to understand how Damon could be so utterly blind to the fact that this tall tale was written by Katerina. Everything that she had learned in the past 24 hours was coming together. The estate, the map, the comment Rose had made, the story.

"A coincidence?" She scoffed, shaking her head. She quickly snatched the book from Damon's hands, her eyes skimming the page. She snapped the book shut, shoving it under her arm as she grabbed her jacket from the back of the recliner she sat in previously. "We'll see about that." She turned her head, locking eyes with the youngest Salvatore. "I need to make a call, and I need you to keep an eye on Elena while I'm gone. Don't let her go looking for me."

"Ah, so it does make sense to you. Good," Damon took a healthy drink from his glass, a smug smirk painted on his lips.

"Wait, you believe this?" Stefan asked with his arms over his chest. "He finds some book in your archives, that holds a tale from _1930_— which just happens to be written under an old nickname you gave _Katherine_— that has some riddle about where Tori is and you're going to run off to find her?" Stefan asked in shock. "Alex, this is insane."

"It's what family does, little brother." Damon moved to sit back in the wingback chair. "Although, I wouldn't go through that kind of trouble for you, _that's_ for sure." Damon made himself comfortable, "And you'll need more than a few blood bags. Toriana was always a thirsty thing. 145 years without a drink," Damon tsked, "she could probably drain a few bodies and still be hungry. Best of hunting, my friend. Let me know if you find her."

Alex sighed, tilting her head at Stefan. "Damon found that book tucked away in my home, Stefan. That _old mystic tree_? It's the ash of the ancient white oak, the tree our powers are tied to. That _betrayal_ was helping a _certain_ Bulgarian witch escape the sun and moon ritual." She shook her head as she threw on her jacket. "It may seem insane to you, but something in my gut tells me this is right." She wouldn't mention that it was the old coven telling her anything, that was one piece they didn't need to know.

"Let me know when you open that tomb, Damon. I'd kill to see your face when you find what you're looking for." Alex looked in his direction with a cocky grin gracing her features.


	18. xvi

"Oh, come on, Stefan. Get into the spirit of adventure! Let Alex follow the cryptic tale and find the Devil's Spear! Quite the treasure." Damon chuckled to himself. "Just don't drag in a coffin on this rug; I really don't feel like dealing with an exterminator for those pesky bugs." He turned his attention back to Alex, "Oh I _will_. Have fun, you and Tori will have _so_ much to catch up on."

Alex nodded once, shoving the book into the inner pocket of her jacket. She thought about pulling out her phone and making a call but she knew that— as soon as she cashed in her favor— Rose-Marie would no longer remain loyal to her. She glared at Damon as she moved, shaking her head. Damon shrugged, turning his attention the flames in the fireplace. Alex stomped out the front door, talking to herself as she made her way back to the Mikaelson estate. Explaining the situation to Jenna the right way was becoming exceedingly difficult. She mentally kicked herself for compelling the girl into forgetting what she was when they had met in college.

"Hey, Buffy, I know I just told you I'm a 1,031-year-old _original_ vampire but now I'm off to undagger my sister." She grumbled to herself as she sped through the woods, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, yeah, and my girlfriend that I thought I had locked under a church 145 years ago is leaving _cute_ little notes for me to follow and figure out where my little sister is hidden." Stumbling over a log, Alex continued.

"I know we've had this thing going on for a while, Sommers, but it seems like things have to come to a brutal halt before my girlfriend, who looks just like your niece that I swore to protect, shows up and rips your head off and serves it to me on a silver platter because _she's_ _fucking psycho_." She couldn't understand how Katherine could have snuck away the night that the tombs were set ablaze. It took half of her trip back to her home for her to finally put the pieces together. _Who wanted Katherine's love more than anything, enchanted the Gilbert gadgets when denied it, highly likely could have used the Comet's power to create an illusion powerful enough that I couldn't see past it, and then was burned at the stake with no remorse?_ She thought to herself, shaking her head for being stupid enough to not have seen it before. "Emily Bennett," she scoffed, rolling her eyes. Alex was going to need Tori for the storm that was coming, even if Katherine wasn't out.

She shook her head as she came to a full stop, furrowing her brow when she heard the heavy breathing coming from behind her. Stefan ran as quickly as he could to keep up with Alex but it wasn't nearly enough. Her speed and stamina were much stronger than his own. When they finally reached the estate the Salvatore was slightly tired, doubled over to catch his breath. He rolled his neck and shoulders as he stood up.

"So where exactly is her riddle leading?" Stefan asked as he took a few steps closer. His eyes, however, taking in the older property. "You seem very adamant about _Katherine Pierce_ doing a selfless thing like this. Honestly, it's unheard of."

Alex pulled the book out of her back pocket to point it at Stefan. She should have questioned why he followed, but she could use his help getting her sister out of the ground. "Stef there are things in here, in this small green book, that connect Tori, Nik and myself to Tatia. Things that haven't been spoken to anyone in almost _500 years_. Yes, Katherine was heartless to those who crossed her path, but she was the keeper of secrets; misunderstood. Nik slaughtered her family, Stefan. I don't even think she remembers what it was like to have even a sliver of her true humanity. But this," Alex shook the book near her head for a moment. "This is the Katherine I met before all of that."

He took a moment to study Alex, "You have always seen her differently than we have. You know who she truly is at her core. I will admit that I don't, so, if you really believe Katherine took the risk to come back in 1930 to find Tori, then I believe you. Let's just hope she knew what she was talking about."

"She hated the person she was before she turned, Stefan. It's not easy going back to being someone you once saw as weak and vulnerable." Alex sighed as she returned her book to her back pocket. "But don't get me wrong, just because she's trying doesn't mean she's allowed to just waltz back into my life like nothing happened."

"I understand that more than you think I do," Stefan muttered. "Figuring Katherine out is something I gave up on a long time ago." He shook his head. "And I know, Alex. Though, personally, I wouldn't let her back in my life. I've had over one hundred years to come to terms with her and what happened."

Alex shook her head in frustration. "You knew _Katherine Pierce_. That person, Stefan, is vastly different from _Katerina Petrova_." She let out a sigh, tilting her head at the younger Salvatore. Stefan ran his tongue over his front teeth. He wasn't sure he believed that Katherine could be anything other than— well— Katherine, but he wasn't going to argue his point. Alex returned her attention to the task at hand.

"_To move to the future, you must go to the past. Where ancient bones fell and familiars' dwell_. It's the original site of Mystic Falls. Where Tori and I grew up... where Tatia was burned on the pyre." She rolled up her sleeves, nodding towards the barn in the far back. "My truck's in there, it won't take us long to get out to where Tori is hidden. The ancestral site isn't too far away."

Stefan listened as she explained exactly where they were going. "Why would he bury her there? Wouldn't her magic be stronger there?" Stefan would be the first to admit he didn't know a lot about magic, but the magic that ran through the Mikaelson sister's veins was a whole other story. "And has he ever buried anyone before?" Alex rolled her eyes, turning back at Stefan as she tilted her head at him.

"Stefan, no one else has been to the estate in years. I lived here before Elena's parents died, and now I need to somehow explain to Elena that my _baby sister _needs someone to keep an eye on her so she doesn't go full _Death's Spear_ on Mystic Falls. I have a bug-out bag in the truck, but it hasn't been updated since Damon and I were in New York in the 90's. I hope Tori's comfortable in _grunge_." She let out a chuckle as she ran a hand through her hair.

"Yes, her magic will be more powerful, but she's still paralyzed from the white oak. I just hope she doesn't try and rip my head off for unknowingly letting her live in her own hellscape for 145 years." Stefan nodded in response before glancing once more at the large building in front of him.

"I think she'll just be thankful for whatever you have so she doesn't have to be in those clothes." He sighed at the thought of how Tori could possibly revert to a ripper. "Once she feeds she'll be okay. Yes, Tori can be hungry, but she also has a form of control I've never seen in anyone else. Even when she is _Death's Spear_. She'll listen to you." He gave Alex a reassuring smile, "Alright, get the truck and shovels. I'm going to grab your stash." The blonde nodded, looking towards the barn.

"There's a cooler next to the large fridge in the basement. Just fill it until it's almost unable to close. I'll meet you out back when you're done." And with that, Alex took off.


End file.
